Flying and Falling
by Desidera
Summary: Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to the Gypsy Circus! Let me tell you a tale of love and magic, of pain and sorrow. Let me entrance you. And welcome the stars of the ring! SKxYY, R, AU
1. Prologue

Author: Desidera

Title: Flying and Falling

Rating: R

Pairing: Seto Kaiba/Yami Yugi

Chapters: Prologue + 4 + Epilogue

Genre (Warnings): Angst, AU

Disclaimer : I own nothing but my dreams...

Author's Notes:

_Again...I am sorry for my long absence. This is my final year at school – I'm actually facing the last part of my final exams in two days. I have been working on this story for more than half a year, whenever I had some time left. _

_I'll welcome both praises and criticism. _

_I had to do a lot of research for this...so I hope it's all correct. I also added random family relations (I even drew a family tree at home ;) ) but it should not concern you if you don't get all the complicated family relations – it is not that important. _

_Updates will come soon, after my finals, because the story is already complete._

_I hope you enjoy!_

_Thanks to: mic! –hugs- And all the other people who haven't forgotten me, still review, still talk to me even if they are stressed themselves. _

_Hugs also go to those whom I haven't seen for a long time – would like to talk to you again!_

_Thank you for putting up with my rambling._

**Prologue**

Past the tall men in blue and red uniforms and into the massive tent the crowd is swarming, right into a bees' hive filled with chatter and laughter. Empty benches are waiting to carry them, neither comfortable nor soft, but today it does not matter. They are all the same here, the beggar and the king, for tonight the lone individual will be of no importance. All that matters will be their applause, and their money, afterwards.

And most appreciated are the children who make up the largest part of the crowd as they struggle to sit still. Those who do not manage jump up and down, climbing over benches, knocking over newcomers in their frenzy. Others stand on their tiptoes, trying to get a glimpse at what is going on behind the curtain, watching the orchestra take its place beside the ring, squealing at the discovery of each new item that will be used, later that night. All of their eyes are huge and sparkling with anticipation and expectations, sparkling bright along with the stars covering the dark blue canvas of the tent.

Popcorn is knocked over and scattered all over the floor, but it does not matter for the floor is only hard brown earth, flattened by the shoes of eager visitors, a straw of hay here, a blade of grass there. Ice cream sticks to pink lips, cotton candy to small noses and flushed cheeks.

And then the red curtain is pushed open, the orchestra starts playing, and a single figure is revealed and highlighted by a white spotlight, black and red suit and cylinder giving away his identity. He is all smiles as he mischievously places a finger on his lips, effectively quieting all the children in the room, which proves that he must be of immense importance, that he for this one night holds all power over their innocent minds full of freely flowing imagination. Judging from his smile he fully well knows this, knows he alone can fuel their excitement and agitation tonight, he and those still hidden behind the curtain. They all are about to please, tonight, about to give all that is in their power to give to those sparkling eyes, the surprised screams and the clapping hands.

Before long the man in the suit spreads his arms wide – and finally the curtain opens. Out they come, acrobats walking on their hands rather than their feet, clowns rolling into the ring on their unicycles, the jugglers and the fire breathers, the sweet lady on the back of the horse and perhaps even a camel, lead in by a slim Arabian boy.

'Oh!' and 'Ah!' they exclaim as they are presented with sights each more spectacular and breakneck dangerous than the last. Colourful costumes and joyful music, laughter and sighs, applause and cheer so loud it is filling the tent completely, the whinny of a horse, the appreciative murmur of the audience.

And then at last the drum-roll announcing their appearance. The stars of the circus ring, the climax of the show, the artists of the flying trapeze, so courageous, so graceful, and swinging so high they could reach out and touch the stars on the top of the tent.

The finale, the last applause, the fading music and the lazy footsteps of the satiated audience and the awestruck children – that is what they are aiming for, working for, living for. The curtain falls, the interior of the tent is shadowy with more secrets and wonders hidden in each corner.


	2. The Gypsy's Curse

**The Gypsy's Curse**

The bed upon which he wakes is uncomfortably hard and worn with old age. It is small besides, fitting with effort into the corner of the caravan. Above his head there are wooden shelves containing his few personal possessions he always carries with him – a few books, a portable CD player with old earpieces one of which is functioning badly, the collection of CDs, his pride, an old stuffed green dragon. Amulets given to him by his cousin are hanging directly above his head, sometimes meeting painfully with his head when he snaps awake from a nightmare. The sound of wheels carrying the caravan over endless miles on dirty roads lulls him asleep again.

But now it is morning and they have arrived. Another stand, another opening night, and in a few hours his training begins. For now he is supposed to help with putting up the tent. With a sigh he climbs out of bed, feet clammy from the sudden autumn chill that has somehow managed to find its way inside his personal little shelter. As he stretches, yawning, he notices that the bed on the opposite end of the caravan is already empty. So his little brother is up and about again, exploring the place they have arrived at. He is too young to help with the tent, so all he has to do is take care of the animals. One day he will be a respectable member of the circus, he thinks, a fond smile gracing his lips. Then, quickly to escape the cold, he puts on warm green socks, blue training pants and a tight red shirt, and finally a yellow pullover to keep him warm. The colours don't match but none of the others will care. After all, they are gypsies, wanderers on endless roads without a true home, so he might as well take up their look.

Sporadically, he brushes his teeth and washes his face in the toiletry caravan, saving the rest of his body care for tonight, for after the show when he's sweaty and in need of a shower. Splashing water onto his face, he stares at the pale skin, the tired eyes of dull crimson returning his gaze from the mirror, rubies lost in the dirt of a dusty road. The soreness of performing every night has long ago left him, it usually only bothers him the first few months of the tour. Now that summer, the peak of the season, is over, he feels tired more often than not. Sighing softly, he leaves the caravan to join the workers outside.

They raise the tent in silence, the movements repeated so many times they have become second nature to them. Joining them he begins to pull at one of the ropes. For him too this is a daily routine.

"Good morning, Yami", he is greeted by the man working next to him. He is short, barely reaches his height, although there is an age difference of about 50 years between them. He could be his grandfather. And in a way, he is.

"Good morning, Jii-chan," he replies, and Sugoroku gives him a smile before he turns back to his work.

"Have you seen your little brother this morning?", the old man wants to know. Stretching to pull down the red plastic canvas and tying it to a metal post, he chuckles to himself. "He is too fast for an old man as I am to follow. I just hope he stays on the lot"

"He will," Yami assures him. "Yugi is a clever boy. I do not know any other child of eight years that is as smart as he is. Not to mention talented. Pegasus is teaching him well."

"You are proud of him, Yami," Sugoroku sighs, "That's what he needs to be one of the great ones, someone who encourages him and is always by his side." Averting his eyes, Yami acknowledges this statement with a nod then pulls harder on the cords, attaching the plastic.

He feels a bit dizzy as he passes his hand over his forehead, narrowing his eyes so he can glance up to where the morning sun only now appearing on the horizon is glinting on the metal poles of the tent.

"I'm going to take care of the animals now", the older man mumbles and leaves for the hastily erected stables. Yami is lost in the sight of the glinting poles as a small hand reaches for his pullover, fisting in the soft fabric.

"Yami"

The soft voice breaks through his thoughts and he leans down with a light smile on his face. "Yes, my hikari?" Small eyebrows soften where they were drawn together in a slight frown and Yugi returns his smile.

"You won't believe what I saw," he murmurs furtively. "It is a secret, I can only whisper it into your ear" With a delicate movement of his hand he beckons him closer.

Yami feels his little brother's hushed breath ghost over his ear. "There is a pond, just behind those trees. I think it belongs to the townies, so you cannot tell Jii-chan. He will not like my being there, he will be afraid I could fall in. But I might as well, I would not drown. There are dark creatures down below, with strong, smooth arms, _rusalki_, Yami, for sure they would lift me up and carry me back to the shore."

Yami barely hides his smile. "You really think the townies would have ponds with rusalki in them, my hikari? The townies don't believe in rusalki, they believe in nothing."

"They believe in my magic," Yugi replies firmly, voice less hushed than it was when he was talking about the water spirits. He giggles. "They do, Yami! You should see the little towny kids when I show them. How could they believe in the simple tricks Pegasus is teaching me but not in rusalki? They are difficult to understand, Yami."

"They are, my hikari," he murmurs and runs his hand once through wild spikes of colourful hair, so much like his own. "But you will make the little children believe in your magic, and maybe then they will find a way to believe in rusalki, too." His little brother rewards him with an enigmatic smile before he bounces off, towards the stables where Sugoroku is awaiting his helping hand.

When the small boy has vanished from sight, Yami turns to one of the large trucks parking just behind the tent, and goes to retrieve from there what he needs for his training. Another boy is already standing next to the truck, waiting for a third to lower down their equipment. Long bars of steel, cable ladders, safety belts, ropes, pedestal boards, swivels, carbines, and a net are lifted out of the truck's back by a boy just about to reach manhood, shoulders already firming and broadening, blonde bangs slightly damp from sweat. The other boy, closer to Yami's age, places the equipment on the ground and smirks at him as he approaches. His red hair is cut just below his ears, his stature is more delicate, even more so than Yami's. It is the stature of a flyer, whereas his companion's built seems perfect for catching.

"Hey, Parrot. Ready for some fun?", Amelda, the red haired boy, son of Pegasus, the ringmaster, greats casually.

"You mean fun as in besting you once more, Woodpecker? Always" With a matching smirk he accepts the light competition that has become so commonplace it no longer manages to spice up the dull everyday routine. The thrill of flying, however, remains. A true flyer, parrot or not, will never allow his wings to be cut.

As a catcher, Raphael does not get a bird nickname. He is too silent for nicknames as it is, too removed and serious as he carries most of their load of rigging towards the large tent, muscles in his arms flexing. They are both watching him for a moment then, shrugging, they follow with their own load.

Inside the tent, the roustabouts have already erected the poles and larger parts of the rigging, transported in a different truck. Gracefully and fast as squirrels, the boys begin to climb the poles, attaching ropes and ladders where they are needed, securing the net in place, double checking the carbines and knots before they add the flying bars. It takes them a half hour to complete the setup of the rigging but when it is finally raised high above everyone else's heads, Yami and Amelda climb up onto the pedestal boards while Raphael takes his seat on the catching bar.

The heavy spotlights which are going to illuminate the tent at night are not ready yet, and only a few small lamps cast their light onto the ring. The ground beneath their feet fades into darkness and their deep breaths are the only audible sound, up there where the air begins to tingle with the singing of ropes slicing through it. No loud orchestra breaks their concentration, no anxious heartbeat betrays their calm. Raphael tilts his whole body back, hanging upside down now, knees firmly locked around the bar, and for a moment the world seems to narrow around them, sucking in a whisk of air and holding it. Then Yami leaps.

Head first he jumps down, falls only for a millisecond, barely enough to feel more than a faint jolt of excitement, before his hands close around cold steel and he is swinging forward, vision narrowing further until all he sees are Raphael's hands, outstretched there before him. When his feet reach forward to almost touch those hands, he lets the bar go. The motion he performs next is far too fast for his brain to fully comprehend, but his body works on impulse, knows where to twist, where to turn, where to thrust out his hands so they are going to meet with Raphael's just at the right moment, grasping securely. In that single second in the air he can finally feel it, the pleasure of a fleeting moment's weightlessness.

Briefly, his gaze falls upon Raphael's eyes, hardened and sharpened in concentration and then the swing is reversed. He feels hands letting him go and again there is this eternal second of freedom before his own bar, steadied by Amelda, makes contact with his palms. As his feet touch ground again, as he knows the flight is over, at first there is disappointment, but almost immediately it is replaced by pride, by satisfaction, by the soft glow inside of his veins that is the after effect of a high dose of adrenaline. But he has no time to close his eyes and savour it, for Amelda is leaping now and he has to steady the bar for the other boy.

In perfect silence and shrouded in dim light they go through their routine, the whole program, the list of acts they know. It is not a long list yet, for both he and Amelda are young and have a lot to learn still, but it is as good as it will get.

"Well done, my boy", Sugoroku welcomes him as he playfully slides down one of the poles. "You have been watching?", Yami wonders, a spark of happiness gleaming in his eyes, just barely.

"Yes, I came by, coincidentally. I am needed with the camels and I thought I could shorten the way by passing through the tent. It seems it has taken me longer instead, but I had to stop to watch for a second. One day, my boy, one day you will be as good as your father was, and you will make us all proud."

Hastily, a smile creeps over Yami's face, then quickly he guards it again, glancing over his shoulder. Of course Amelda has heard the words. Yami knows Amelda hears them far too often, from far too many different people. For now, the redhead glances away discreetly, speaking silently to Raphael. They seem far away from the others as they hold their conversation, as if they share their own personal language everyone else will always be excluded from. Yami sighs and throws over his yellow pullover once more.

Slowly, Yami's body comes down from its adrenaline-induced height, he wipes his face with a towel and walks slowly, tiredly towards his caravan. After a quick change of clothes, though never abandoning the pullover, he prepares to do his schoolwork. He starts with English where he is supposed to write a short characterisation. With a smile, he chooses Sugoroku, beginning to describe his looks, his habits, his belongings and his occupation in elaborate writing. He is good at writing and he likes to do it for the helpful distraction it provides.

Today his teacher will be pleased with him. He gives the sheets of paper he has filled with line after line of flowing words to him at lunch. Siegfried, the conductor of the orchestra and Pegasus' nephew, accepts his schoolwork with a smile and puts it onto a pile of papers that have been given to him by the other children he teaches. There are two folded neatly, lying just on top of the pile. One is Amelda's and the other belongs to Yami's cousin Malik. The next one seems horribly mangled, as if it has been smeared with various kinds of make up and food, it belongs to Katsuya, the clown, called Joey by his friends in reference to his surname, Jounouchi, and in honour of the famous English clown Joseph Grimaldi. Honda, whose sheet of schoolwork seems to have gotten into his friend and fellow clown's destructive path, looks up from his food when Yami takes his seat, helping himself to some salad and rice.

Just then the door is pushed open and the young ones are storming in, first Yugi and Siegfried's brother, Leon, then Anzu, Pegasus' granddaughter, followed by Shizuka, Joey's sister who is clutching her hand and holding onto it frantically as she stops and stares with wide eyes. Blonde Rebecca pushes past her, chasing Yugi and Leon, while the last boy, a rather shy one by the name of Ryou, reaches comfortingly for the hand that doesn't clutch Anzu's and together they walk towards the table where the others are already enjoying their food. From the mud stains on their clothes it is not hard to guess they have been looking for rusalki in Yugi's pond. They do have their own schoolwork with them, though, and give it to Siegfried before they start eating.

Again the door flies open, revealing a boy of Yami's age, wild hair the same light colour as Ryou's, identifying him as his older brother. Bakura does not resemble the gentle boy in character, though, as he stalks over to Siegfried and hands him a paper with a large rip going straight through the middle of it.

"Sorry about this, got into the way of one of my swords", he explains disdainfully before he too sits down, briefly exchanging a glare with Amelda.

The redhead's eyes light up when Raphael comes in, finally having finished setting up the tent with the roustabouts, followed by his sister Mai, the horse trainer. Mai is chatting with Malik's sister, Ishizu, who, together with her brother, trains two beautiful Egyptian camels.

The last to arrive is Otogi, Pegasus' second son, one of two children he has with his first wife, whereas Amelda is his son out of second marriage. Otogi trains dogs whenever he is not making bets with or playing dice games against his friends.

As the latecomers settle into their chairs, Yami pushes away his empty plate. Nonetheless he remains seated for a few more minutes, leaning back and letting the voices and laughter of his large family wash over him. A soft smile dances on his lips when he deciphers Yugi's voice, replaced by an annoyed frown when Joey is yet again provoking a fight with Otogi and sneered at by Bakura.

"It's like they can never shut up", Malik complains, pressing his forefingers to the place on his forehead where the third eye is believed to be. "I only wish for an hour of peace and quiet"

Even Raphael, who never complains, joins in the chorus of affirmations around them.

"Hey, shut up over there!", Amelda calls, attempting to sort out the problem. Of course he is unsuccessful since Joey is about to attack Otogi over the table as he dares to take his seat next to Mai.

With a sigh, Yami finally pushes his chair back and leaves. Outside of the cookhouse, the sun is breaking through the clouds and Otogi's dogs bark on the other side of the tent. He can also make out Sugoroku's voice, and concludes that the animal caretaker has most likely eaten earlier.

"Wait, Yami!", Joey calls after him, hurrying to catch up as he stops and turns. "Hey, buddy…", he pants, falling into step beside him, "I hope we didn't upset you earlier, 'twas nothin', honest." He looks genuinely worried. Everyone is always worried about Yami and Yugi, ever since they have no one left in the world but Yugi's grandfather, their Jii-chan.

To reassure him, Yami gives him a smile. "It's ok, Joey, I know you didn't mean to fight again, and I know it's nothing serious…I just …sometimes I wish….I…had more time to read, so I decided I'd spend my free hours reading. That's why I left so early. You should not worry, in fact, you can go back to eating, I'm really fine."

Joey is not convinced by his poor act, unsurprisingly. After all he is a clown and no one can fake emotions to a talented clown. And Joey, despite his goofing around and his incessant fighting, is as talented a clown as they can get. Being all too well aware of people's emotions he also knows when to retreat, as he does now. "See you later then, buddy", he calls as he heads back to the cookhouse.

With a sigh, Yami turns back to his original destination, his caravan. Reading seems a good option, although it has not been on his mind when he left family lunch before. The caravan is dark, compared to the bright daylight outside, so he pushes his bed closer to the window, trying to make the sun fall directly onto the sheets where he is going to read. All his books are an escape from reality, as fantastic as they can get. His special favourites are The Lord of the Rings, The Neverending Story, anything involving King Arthur, Arabian Nights and the Nibelungen saga. What he loves most of all are fairytales, but he does not read them. He keeps them in his memory and tells them to Yugi and the other young ones who greedily take in story after story, eyes on him, full of rapture, lips moving furtively to recite the wondrous magical spells, the three times repeated warnings, and the final "happily ever after"

From his tiny shelf ornamented with many a pendant of luck and protection he picks Tolkien's The Hobbit, his most recent read. Mirkwood is awaiting him with dangerous secrecy and a slumber of death, and the thought thrills him. Yet it takes a few minutes for his mind to stop reeling and detach itself from the world he knows, the one which he tries to escape from, a few minutes to allow him to fly into one of those many others where he feels free.

Time has lost count as he follows the dwarfs and Bilbo through the dark forest, where they encounter elves and spiders and seem to him so very fortunate to live true adventures. He is so engrossed that he does not hear his cousin Ishizu call his name until she finally loses patience and pushes open the door with a loud banging sound.

"There you are!", she exclaims. "You had almost got me worried!"

"I am sorry", he answers and puts his book away. The dark haired girl is still in her training outfit, so she has been with the camels after lunch. On the opening day of a performance every act has to be rehearsed, even if only for a short while, simply to make sure the camels are in shape and have not suffered from the long journey on the road.

Now, his older cousin's eyes are staring into his with careful intensity. Most likely she has heard of the cookhouse incident. "It is alright", she finally concedes, "You should start your exercises now, the performance will begin in another three hours and you want to be in costume before the first spectators arrive. We are in a large town, today is certainly going to be special."

Yami nods and turns around to look for his discarded training clothes, finding them in a pile on the floor. From the door, Ishizu comments this with a disapproving snort, but he knows without looking that there is a smile on her face. She was the one who always told him the fairytales, along with his mother, when he could not sleep at night, when he missed his father who had gone off with the circus people and they had to stay at home because with four he was still too young to travel with them. The separation from Ishizu when she became old enough to go with the circus has been hard on him, and the five years they have been apart changed them in many ways. Still, her sisterly love for him has remained.

In a secluded spot of the circus lot, Yami sits down on a blanket on the hard ground. He puts the earpieces of his CD player into his ears and begins with stretching exercises, leaning over, easily grabbing his toes with his hands, holding the position and breathing in and out, slowly, putting his head onto his knees, then spreading his legs as far as they will go, holding again. He continues for almost half an hour with different exercises, concentrating on the music instead of his body until his mind once more detaches itself from the flesh and floats free in the realm of imagination. It does no longer let him feel the exertion of countless push-ups or the sweat running down his forehead, he feels entirely weightless.

And finally he hears Amelda call for him, "Hey, Parrot! It's time" The music fades from his senses slowly, even after he has taken out the earpieces, and he carries the CD Player back to his caravan. In thebackyard, he takes his costume out of the large trunks, trousers of gold and leather straps decorated with glorious crimson feathers running over his torso, back and arms. He paints half of his face with gold make-up and both of his eyes with black eyeliner then looks over at Amelda who returns his gaze with their usual smirk of competition. The other boy's feathers are lavender, otherwise their costumes are the same. Whereas Yami has painted the left side of his face, Amelda now applies the golden make-up on the right side.

"Are the two of you ready? It is time.", Raphael asks from the door. As usual, he is already in costume, silver trousers covering his legs and silver straps wrapped around his muscular arms.

Nodding, Yami pushes himself up from the wooden chair, straightening out the costume.

"We have another hour until it's our turn", Amelda pushes his hair out of his face, carefully trying to protect the still drying make-up. "What are we going to do?"

Outside Yami can hear the faint murmurs of the crowd, growing steadily as more and more people move from the midway into the tent, finding their seats, munching popcorn and cotton candy.

"I want to watch the performance", he decides. "I would like to see what kind of audience we have tonight."

"You have watched it a thousand times all over again", Amelda states, rolling his eyes, "And the audience is the same every night"

Shaking his head, Yami contradicts him passionately, "No, they are not, Woodpecker. Every audience is significantly different from the last, and often a single person can alter the performer's reaction to the audience. I will show you. Follow me"

There is a secret spot between two curtains, one red and one black. Climbing onto a small pedestal it is possible to overlook the whole ring without the blinding disturbance the spotlights provide from every other point of view. Yami pulls Amelda next to him onto the pedestal and opens the gap between the curtains just ever so slightly, giving them both a chance to look. The picture is familiar, a lively bunch of men and women, children and grandparents, small families or entire school classes. And yet Yami nods, satisfied.

Briefly touching Amelda's shoulder, he motions to the left. "See the blond man over there? My cousin Ishizu likes blond men a lot, and he sits exactly where she will pass withSitah, her favourite camel. Ishizu is going to move more confidently than usual, her walking changing slightly. It will alter Sitah's pace, and Athak, Malik's favourite will pick it up from her. This will make the pace just the tiniest bit faster when it comes to the most difficult exercises, which will give Malik a chance to do that special flip on Athak's back he only does when he is sure Athak is fast enough. Do you understand?"

"You are crazy, Parrot", Amelda comments, but sounds intrigued anyway, and continues to stare at the audience. "Well", he states after a minute of silence, "if you let me have a good guess, I think the tall man just next to the quarter pole is going to influence the performance a lot, he certainly looks it."

Yami cranes his neck a little further but it is fruitless. "He is hidden by the pole, I cannot see anything. Let me look from your spot."

"Definitely not", Amelda glares, "You can watch him at the spec, there is no way you could overlook him"

"Alright", Yami agrees.

They watch in silence as Siegfried slips through the back door unnoticed and talks to his orchestra as they tune their instruments carefully, undisturbed by the noise in the tent.

"It is time", Raphael mumbles behind them.

"Do you have to keep saying this?", Amelda teases him, "Are they paying you three words only?"

"Watch your cocky mouth", Raphael replies, but he is not serious in his insult. "The spec is about to start."

With a loud flourish Siegfried's gypsy brass orchestra begins to play a joyful fast paced tune, rhythm reaching out to the audience and pulling them closer, summoning them from their seats into the magical world of the circus. The first to step out of the backdoor, from behind the curtain, is Pegasus, the ringmaster.

"Welcome, Ladies and Gentleman, at the Gypsy Circus! Encounter the gypsies and mystical creatures of the ring, let them take you to the bonfires, let them perform their magical dance, let them tell you stories of former days. Let them entrance you! Welcome now the stars of the ring!"

The artists are standing in long lines behind the curtain, Yami and Amelda among them, nervously pulling on the fabric of their trousers or the straps over their chests. But this is their cue, they are supposed to run. And out they come with the other artists, their family, their friends, to wave a first hello to the audience, to catch the marvelling eye of whoever looks their way with a little fast back-bend or a handstand. Malik even drives in on a unicycle, Bakura has a burning torch with him. Yami knows he has taken a gulp from a small bottle attached to his waist just before they have entered the ring, and now he is moving the torch towards his mouth and there is an explosion of flame that makes the ladies and little kids in the first row scream with fear and delight. Bakura smirks, probably this is his favourite moment of the evening.

In the middle of all this Yami is reminded of the man Amelda wanted to show him and his eyes search the quarter pole as he and Amelda hoist Raphael up, who performs a handstand, palms firmly gripping their shoulders. And there he is. In the same instant his eyes meet those of this particular spectator, Yami understands what Amelda wanted to tell him. The young man's blue eyes are staring into his with intensity unbroken, hard and cold and challenging. Suddenly he knows that tonight he is going to give them the best performance he has ever had up to this moment.

The spec is over as darkness falls all around them, as the curtain is pulled shut again, and Otogi is getting ready with his dogs. Dazed, Yami stands in the backyard, unsure about where to go, where to sit, where to await his turn. A few minutes later, Otogi is back, sweaty and a little exhausted, and Sugoroku helps him lead out the dogs who are excited by the performance.

Bakura is next, this time throwing knives at Mai, who strangely trusts him enough to let him perform his tricks with her aid. There is hardly anyone but Mai and Bakura's little brother Ryou who trusts the white-haired spitfire, and it is expected that Ryou will take up Mai's part in the act when he has reached a certain age.

Then the older circus members move into the ring, it's time for the cycling act. By this time Yami has decided what to do to clear his mind of this intense gaze. Carefully, he approaches Pegasus who wipes his forehead with a towel.

"I am sorry to disturb you, Pegasus…."

"It isn't a problem, my boy", the white-haired man answers, throwing the towel away, and letting himself sink back into a chair. "What is it you want?"

"It is just…do you know the tall boy next to the third quarter pole? He looks familiar, but I cannot place him anywhere, and he seems so important to me."

Pegasus smiles and takes a sip from a bottle of water. "Well, Yami, my boy, if we are thinking of the same man it would be no wonder he looks familiar. He is a trapeze artist too, Yami, and one of the most popular in the country. He has just finished the international school of trapeze arts and he is their best student. Now he is travelling from circus to circus, choosing one to join. I did not know he was going to be here today. No need to be nervous though, Yami, you will be wonderful, you are one of the great ones."

Suddenly, unbidden, the echo of Sugoroku's words rings in his mind, _"That's what he needs to be one of the great ones, someone who encourages him and is always by his side."_

Only half-heartedly, Yami returns the reassuring smile with one of his own and walks away. His mind is still racing as Raphael comes in.

"Do I have to say it again?", the blond boy grumbles, "It's time. Joey and Honda have already finished their performance, Ishizu and Malik are out there with the camels. We are next."

"I know", Yami sighs, standing and straightening his clothes and hair.

Together the three of them wait at the entrance. When Yami's cousins finally lead out the camels, Raphael pats both his smaller partners on the back. "Time to show them", he growls, almost dangerously, "Let's get out" And together they run.

The music is insistent and intense in Yami's ears, crawls into his body, claiming him fully. And although he can almost feel those blue eyes still on him, instincts are taking over as he climbs the ladders and poles until he reaches the pedestal just beneath the top of the tent, unfastening the flying bar.

Once more the ground below vanishes, in light this time as the spots are turned up to illuminate their faces, and all he sees are Raphael and Amelda, the flying bar and the stars on the blue canvas. Excitement is cursing through his veins and with bated breath he waits for the drum roll. And then he jumps.

There is only the feel of air, Raphael's hands that grip his hard, and the reverse spin as he takes off again, meeting with Amelda in the air and landing on the pedestal as the other boy swings on Raphael's hands. The second trick follows, then the third, he does not think about it, simply feels that he has to give everything, as he stretches as much as he can, as he performs the somersaults with special grace.

And then there is the final drum roll and there is only one act left. Of course, the most difficult, the one Amelda is forbidden to do because he is not yet ready, as they say. Dizziness takes hold of Yami all of a sudden, gently, but insistently, dizziness as he searches the blinding light from below for a hint of blue. Slowly the odd sensation leaves him and Yami jumps and soars through the air. With all his power and all his speed he launches himself into the air, twisting his body, hearing the audience scream –

And then he realises he has come to high. Raphael's hands are too far away. He is not going to reach them. His mind processes the information logically and none of it actually reaches his body as he comes down far too slowly and yet too quickly. There is the stricken expression of horror in Raphael's eyes as Yami's palm makes contact with his fingers for a brief moment and slips from them innocently and inevitably.

Yami is falling, the screams are deafening him and suddenly a wave of fear surges up and he blindly reaches out, turning somehow and grabbing a single rope hanging from one of the pedestals, clinging onto it with the sheer determination of his refusal to give up. The force behind his fall makes him slide down several metres, painfully burning his palms on the hard rope, but the pain is dulled by the surges of adrenaline cursing through his veins.

And then he slumps down into the net and remains, lying and wondering bleakly what has happened and why everyone is running towards him. He turns, frantically, tears of pain already stinging in his eyes although he does not feel the pain yet. All that he sees, feels, notices are the fierce blue eyes staring at him.

He does not understand why everyone is screaming, crying and clinging to him, why he is being carried out and into his caravan, why Ishizu brings the first aid kit. But as she begins treating the rope burns on his hands, his mind finally catches up and he realises the horror of the situation. He has fallen. He has failed. He has ruined the performance.

Sugoroku storms in, banging the door and screaming at him in his old, hoarse baritone, but the words do not matter. It does not even matter when Sugoroku takes him in his arms as Ishizu finally closes the first aid kit and leaves the two of them alone.

"Oh gods, Yami. How could you do this? How could you be so careless? Oh…dear gods…Yami…don't ever do that to me again, my boy….does it hurt?...there, there, it is alright."

Yami has not noticed that tears are streaming down his face. He no longer cares about the performance or his reputation, or the audience. All he sees are blue eyes filled with disappointment, confusion and anger. What he has lost is the respect in them, the challenge in them. He will never be a challenge to those blue eyes again. He will never be worth another glance of them. He will never see them again. The tall man has turned from him, is leaving and will be gone forever. Those eyes full of promises are now cold and hard as ice...

"_That's what he needs to be one of the great ones, someone who encourages him and is always by his side."_

"Curse you!", Yami screams, making his Jii-chan stumble back from him, "Curse your pride! Cursed be your self-confidence, cursed be your skill! One day you shall be bereft of them all! Just you wait! Just you wait!" He collapses down onto the bed, crying hysterically.


	3. The Catcher's Challenge

**Author's Notes: **

My exams are over! YAY!

I honestly have no idea about the trapeze. I did research but a lot of it, especially the acts and routines, is plainly made up.

Oh, there's a reward for reviewing this time -smiles-

Every reviewer gets to see the pictures **mic1211 **drew for "Flying and Falling – They Gypsy's Curse", as well as other stories. (We've just opened a photobucket account)

**The Catcher's Challenge**

More often than not he is roused from his sleep by silence these days. The occasional noise coming from the animal stables is not enough to replace the sounds of the street that accompany his every day during the warmer season. But it is cold outside now, glazed frost clinging to the trees, announcing the approach of winter. The howling winds will come, the snowdrifts gather, but they will have crackling flames in the fireplace, they have houses now, and soft beds and warm blankets.

Yami is not used to soft warm beds, so the first few weeks usually feel uncomfortable because the softness makes him insecure. Furthermore, he is not used to being alone in a room. In winter, his younger brother has his own room next to his, and although they are almost as small as the little space they have in their caravan, the level of privacy they provide is so huge compared to what they have while touring the country that it sometimes scares him. It also scares him how fast the years seem to pass, every time he looks at Yugi and discovers anew that he is already twelve years old, almost a teenager. At times Yami tries to think back to when he was twelve and what it felt like, but he does not remember too much of that time. Life in the circus has always been the same, each day, every year. There has been only one day in the twelfth year of his life that still stays on his mind, hidden somewhere so he can turn away from it and pretend it did not happen.

A late sunrise calls Yami from his bed. Even in winter the animals have to be taken care of, the stables have to be cleaned and Jii-chan's back has been getting worse after all those years of hard work. Sometimes Yami wishes he could pay for a real therapy in a hospital or a health resort, instead of just a few painkillers here or there – but Sugoroku would refuse anyway. He does not want to feel old, even if all his generation with the exception of Pegasus only has already retired from the circus.

Indeed, the new generation has grown up, Yami thinks with pride, for his little brother is among them. Already he stuns the whole circus family with the result of his lessons with the ring master. Even Yami can no longer tell if Yugi is just imitating Pegasus' tricks or if he has truly passed into a world that knows more than what the eye can see, that knows real magic. He suspects Yugi has always partly lived in that place where reason and logic cannot follow, has, now that he knows how to wield the powers of this place, already talked to the rusalki he met so long ago.

When this winter is over, Yami reflects with a knowing smile, Yugi and his friends, the entire circus offspring that has now reached an age from ten to thirteen, will join the show. Naturally, that requires a lot of training, acts having to be rehearsed over and over, acts that have to be more spectacular every year. From the money they have earned with last year's show, Pegasus has hired the nearest town's gym from 6.00 am to 1.30 pm each day of the week.

So every day at 11.30 am, when the other acts are rehearsed, Yami, Raphael and Amelda set up their light training rigging and security ropes in the gym and rehearse their new routine. It is not easy, for the more spectacular the show has to become, the more difficult it is for the performers. Many accidents would have happened were it not for the security ropes. That is normal, though. Sometimes they laugh at each other, sometimes they get so fed up with each other they scream their frustration into each other's faces, looking for someone to blame for their faults. At times Yami and Amelda in their all-time-competition end up rolling around on the floor mats, wrestling, and Raphael has to separate them. Usually the reconciliation follows short. After all those years they know each other too well.

Blinking away his thoughts, Yami gives the sunrise and the glittering frost on the trees a last lingering look, then turns away from the window. Dressing in jeans and a comfortable but warm pullover and jacket, he slings the bag with his training outfit over his shoulder and leaves his room.

Sugoroku seems to be in the stables already so Yami does not hesitate to join him.

"Ah, my boy, we are getting snow tomorrow", the old man greets him with a smile.

Yami returns it half-heartedly, replying, "I don't know if I like that, Jii-chan. The snow is beautiful, but it is so cold."

"But you are drawn to it anyway", Jii-chan smiles, reminscing. "As I recall you could not get enough of it when you were younger"

"True", Yami agrees, "Each time the first snow flakes are falling and glittering in the sunlight or in the light of a streetlamp at night, the cold no longer matters."

With a shrug of his shoulders he begins to clean the stables while Jii-chan feeds the horses.

"Good morning, big brother", Yugi calls, passing him by on his way to the ponies Rebecca performs on.

Returning the greeting with a smile, Yami notices that someone else has entered the stables. Mai is smirking at him in her own stable outfit.

"Good morning. Would you two mind if I take out Mara and Odin for training? Oh, and don't bother with brushing the horses, me and Anzu will do that later. Have to help some here too, not just do the riding", she casually comments and when Sugoroku nods with some words of affirmation, Mai opens two stables and with a soft whisle has both horses following her out.

Yami has an amused smile on his face when he turns back to his work.

"She's become a lady, hasn't she?", Jii-chan wonders aloud.

"She has always been", Yami confirms, "But now it's more noticeable than ever. Joey'll have a hard time catching up."

"He still hasn't given up on her?"

Yami shakes his head, avoiding Sugoroku's eyes, but unable to hide the small smile on his face. After a few seconds, his Jii-chan grins as well.

"Persistent he is, that has to be said.", and after another few seconds he adds, "And if you ask me he even stands a chance. If he catches up a bit, like you said."

It does not take them too long to clean the six stalls reserved for the horses Mai and Anzu are training. The two pony stalls are even more quickly cleaned. Satisfied, Yami prepares to leave, taking off his working gloves and handing them to Jii-chan. Two female voices engaged in their usual banter can be heard from the entrance as Anzu and Rebecca arrive. Sugoroku winks at Yami and they both stay, leaned against one of the stalls, watching.

Without so much as a glance at the stalls, Rebecca rushes past them towards Yugi and her ponies. "Good morning, Yugi!", she shouts cheerfully, "Thank you for taking care of Ida and Barbara. Oh, you even cleaned the hooves? That is so wonderful of you, thank you. You really didn't have to."

Yugi, face flushed a little, stutters, "Uhm, no problem, Rebecca."

A quiet huff makes Yami and Sugoroku's amused faces snap back towards Anzu. She is preparing her training saddle while occasionally glaring at the slightly younger girl. Finally she opens the door to the stall of her favourite, the chestnut Dorian, and leads him out.

Realising that she is losing Yugi's attention to Anzu's horse, Rebecca attempts to pull him out of the stable, babbling about showing him something, but this time Anzu is quicker.

"Yugi!", she calls when the other girl tries to pull him past her, and makes him blush yet again as she walks around the horse, reigns in her hand, smiling at him. "You wanted me to help you with your Geography homework today, didn't you? I thought we could start in two hours, when training is over for both of us. What do you think?"

Yugi nods, embarrassed at Rebecca standing next to him with a raised eyebrow and a nervously tapping foot. "That would be very nice of you, Anzu", he replies politely before being grabbed yet again and pulled out of the stables, not without giving his Jii-chan and his brother a helpless look over his shoulder.

As soon as Anzu too has left, the old man and the young boy's serious faces dissolve into waves of amused snickers. The two girls' rivalry in wooing Yugi and said little magician's helplessness and embarrassment has been their private joke for almost two years now. Eventually, Yami takes his leave, lifting his bag up from the floor where he dropped it almost an hour ago.

The morning is still beautiful, the sun having lost its red and golden glow in its rising and the small frosty crystals on the trees and in the grass melting one after the other, even as he faces the path leading into town.

"Yami!", someone calls out to him. It is Leon, Siegfried's little brother, waving and making his way towards him. Turning fully, Yami stands and waits for the younger boy to catch up with him.

"Say, Yami", he begins, once he has reached him, "would you like some company on your way to town? I have to go there too, you know."

Yami returns his smile and nods. "Of course, why not. I always enjoy company."

As they begin to walk together Yami wonders, "I didn't think you had to do your training in the gym. Is something special today?"

Leon laughs, "You could say that. I'm getting a partner for my performance."

"You do? That is wonderful!", Yami voices his surprise.

"I would have told you sooner", Leon adds, always having been fast to confide in the other boy, "but I thought you knew. I thought you were going to get new partners for the trapeze as well."

"You must have heard that wrong, Leon", Yami explains, "Pegasus has not told us anything about new artists."

"I guess you are right then", Leon shrugs, the smile quickly back on his face. "Sieg says I have improved a lot in juggling lately. What do you think?"

"You're doing great", Yami assures him, "Especially with the blackjacks." His voice becomes conspiratorially low. "I think even Rebecca took her eyes off Yugi to watch you."

That in turn makes Leon blush and Yami has to shake his head with a little smile.

They have soon reached the gym and change into their training clothes. While Leon is looking for his juggling utensils, Yami goes to find the rigging and see if Shizuka and Ryou have already finished their acrobatics training. To his surprise he finds a large group of people in the hall, with none of them doing any training but instead standing and talking. Curious, he approaches the group, his eyes finding Pegasus, Amelda and Raphael, and even Bakura. In the middle of their circle there is a boy of about Yugi's age, with black messy hair and an impish smile on his face. His suspicion is confirmed when Pegasus calls for him and Leon and introduces the boy.

"This is Mokuba, your new juggling partner, Leon. I hope you'll enjoy each other's company. We will give you space for your training in a minute. But there are more people to introduce."

Mokuba nods and smiles at Leon.

Pegasus now beckons him closer, together with Amelda and Raphael. "I have not told you yet because the offer came very fast and I had only a short time to make my decision, but you too will get new partners." When he sees the slight shock on Amelda's face and the look the redhead throws Raphael's way, the ringmaster chuckles. "Do not worry, the two of you can continue to perform together. But it would be advantageous if you chose one of the new guys, best a flyer, to stock up your performance a bit. You may find it helpful and interesting as an experience. And you Yami", he turns a little to give him a smile, "You can perform with the second rookie – I think you will be pleased, he matches you in skill"

Yami feels his eyes widen, feels his heart speed up slightly. Is that a promise or a threat?

But before he has time to contemplate the matter, one of the rookies comes in. He is younger than Yami, slightly smaller, with unkempt, brown hair, but he looks strong, almost warrior-like with a mischievous smile. For a moment the four of them look at each other, and the newcomer's gaze wanders from one to the other, resting a little longer on Amelda. Looking out of the corner of his eyes at the red haired boy, Yami notices a faint blush and his mouth falls open just a little in surprise.

"Well, Pegasus says the two of you need a flyer, correct?", the boy then addresses Amelda and Raphael. "I am Valon, at your service" He imitates a bow, grins and then shakes their hands, his smirk never leaving his face. When he moves over to shake Yami's hand, Raphael leans over and whispers something into Amelda's ear. Then the large blonde man nods at Valon, a simple sign of acceptance.

"Valon is actually related to you, Raphael", Pegasus explains, "albeit very distantly. He's the son of yours, Mai's and Rebecca's second cousin."

Raphael does not look surprised at the revelation. "We're all at least distantly related here", he states calmly, which makes the others laugh because it is almost true.

But then the door opens again and a second boy comes in. His training clothes are black, but his hair is brown, the colour of cinnamon and fading autumn leaves. Yami's heart begins to pound as his eyes widen in horror. The man comes closer and finally they can see his eyes, blue, hard, cold as the frost. Yami gasps and takes a small step back.

"This is Seto Kaiba, your new partner", Pegasus introduces him, "and this, Seto, is Yami Mutou. You will admire his talent."

Blue eyes look him up and down, from head to toe, burning like the touch of ice on warm skin. Then there is the smallest of nods. "I have seen him"

Yami's hand is shaking as he extends it to greet Seto Kaiba, but bravely he is searching those blue eyes. They are cold, do not betray their owner's feelings. There is silence for a few endless seconds while their eye contact remains unbroken in the horrible tension that is clenching Yami's throat and stealing his breath away. Then Amelda breaks it.

"I thought you were a flyer?", he wants to know, "You're tall for a flyer. You either have to be very light or a catcher."

The tall man's gaze leaves Yami and meets Amelda's eyes instead, but only for a short second, while he calmly states, "I'm both. Flyer and catcher", then his eyes return to Yami and he adds, in a lower, even more dangerous voice, "and I refuse to work with anyone who is less than that."

With that he leaves, following Pegasus, who has not heard the exchange, with long strides and leaving the other trapeze artists gasping in the wake of his words.

Yami is still standing there, his whole body trembling, his hands clenched and his red eyes filled with a demon's rage. "Fine", he says and turns to get the rigging.

Seto Kaiba does not appear for the training so Yami joins the other three, watching Valon and judging his skills. He is certainly inexperienced, but he is reckless and imaginative, a good counterpart to Amelda in his flying style and certainly not too heavy for Raphael with his slim, wiry body. He will become a good flyer, an improvement in the performance for already his moves seem to match with those of his partners, something a flyer usually has to learn in long hard training hours.

On their way back to the circus quarters Yami is very silent. The others seem to sense that something is wrong but allow him his privacy. He is grateful for that as the events of this day replay in his mind, as other events, long years in the past, resurface and torture him. Again he sees those blue eyes boring into his.

_I have seen him. _

The long forgotten words of his twelve year old self follow.

_He will never be a challenge to those blue eyes again. He will never be worth another glance of them. He will never see them again._

And yet, there is something new, a flutter of his heart underneath the rage and helplessness.

_Seto Kaiba...Seto Kaiba is his name...A challenge..._

He is pulled out of his deep thoughts when the others say their goodbyes and vanish each into their houses, to recover, to shower, to do their schoolwork. Valon will be Otogi's new roommate. Amelda and Raphael have been sharing a house for years.

Yami tiredly enters the house and walks into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. Absently, he runs one of his hands through his hair before shaking his head and pulling his pullover off. Completely ridding himself of his clothing he steps into the bathtub and reaches out to turn on the sprinkler. Feeling hot water flow over his exhausted skin, he sighs softly, again running his hands trough his now wet hair.

Suddenly he pulls them away from his face and stares at the open palms. Three or four thin white scars can be seen on each of his hands, almost imperceptible yet shaping his hands and always reminding him of rope burns that have been placed there, five years ago.

He begins to shiver under the hot water, then wraps his arms around himself, unconsciously imitating a foetal position he rolled up into back then, crying in his bed, curses spilling from his lips as his wounds burned.

_A challenge…_

The thought does not leave him. Catchers are very sought after these days, he tells himself. It requires a high amount of skill and experience to be a good catcher, but the best results usually come from someone who has experienced flying himself. A catcher who knows flying knows the movements of a flyer, can sense them and guess them, an ability that a catcher who does not have that experience has to acquire in long years of training. Yami counts on his ability as a flyer, fiercely rubbing shampoo into his hair and thinking.

Finally he nods, decisively, and rinses out his hair. Drying it with a soft towel, he steps out of the tub and picks up his clothes from the floor.

Properly dressed again, he leaves his house in search of Raphael.

Neither Raphael nor Amelda are at home. Puzzled, Yami walks around the house and when he passes close to the little wood next to the circus' camp, he imagines hearing a voice and follows it. There, turned away from the houses a little, are Raphael and Amelda, facing each other.

"He is just a kid, Amelda", the older man states with a hint of anger in his voice, "and you know him no longer than a day, but somehow he manages to get under your skin."

"You're jealous", replies the other, the nervous twitch of his shoulders betraying his calm voice, "you are afraid of losing me to a kid."

Yami knows he should not hear this, he looks for a way to retreat quietly but is suddenly sure the two of them will hear him if he does. He stays, lowering his head in shame.

"You say it as if there was a reason to be jealous", Raphael says in a voice so low it can almost pass as a growl.

"And maybe there is", Amelda whispers angrily, turning away. "Three years, Raphael, and I was only a little more than fourteen years old when we started. Three years and you still do not trust me. Didn't you accuse me of preferring Yami over you once?"

Yami's eyes widen and he looks up, unable to restrain himself.

Amelda cuts off the answer that is on the taller man's lips. "You did not have a reason back then, yet you would not let it go. Now you have a reason."

Raphael looks up at one of the trees. "You are playing a game with me, Amelda. You make me believe you will leave me for him to teach me a lesson."

Slowly, Amelda glares at him. "I should", he spats, then he walks away, barely giving Yami the time to hide behind a tree.

Raphael stands still, not taking his eyes from the trees, hands clenched at his sides. Yami turns to leave, thinking that the other is too absorbed to notice. "Yami", the deep voice calls him back and he sheepishly steps out of the shadow of the tree.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to listen", he apologises quickly, lowering his eyes.

"It does not matter", Raphael replies wearily, and when Yami looks up he is still staring at the trees.

"Is there anything I can do?", he wants to know, but the tall man shakes his head.

They are silent for long seconds as a frosty wind picks up, promising snow and bitter cold to come.

"You wanted to ask me something?" Finally Raphael's eyes meet Yami's.

He nods and tries to phrase his question adequately.

"You…heard Seto Kaiba's challenge today, Raphael. I have to accept because of something that happened a long time ago, in the presence of those very same eyes. I thought they would never challenge me again, yet I wished so much for that challenge. I need to accept. And I want you to teach me…how to catch…if it does not bother you"

"I understand", Raphael replies calmly, leaning back against the trunk of a tree. "It does not bother me. We can start tomorrow."

"Thank you", Yami whispers and bows slightly.

The wind picks up further as he walks back to the camp, pulling his jacket tightly around himself to protect his body from the chill. Nonetheless he cannot stop shivering. Grey clouds are looming on the horizon, the sun has long vanished. It will be dark soon.

Sighing he closes the door to his house, hoping for more warmth inside. After warming his hands up with a hot cup of tea he begins to write his homework assignment. With the beginning of spring Siegfried will end his regular schooling. At one of the national schools he will have to pass an examination before he will obtain a diploma. This is where school ends for him, unless he leaves the circus for further education.

Scribbling the final lines then throwing his pen down, Yami stands and leaves his room to meet his brother in the kitchen, a daily ritual they have established during those winter months.

The younger boy is already waiting for him, a pot of white rice and a pan of chicken stew on the table. The smell of exotic herbs fills the room.

"Thanks for cooking, Yugi", he smiles as he sits down. "You shouldn't have, though, it was my turn"

Yugi shrugs. "I wanted to," he explains, returning the smile. "You know that I enjoy cooking"

Yami nods. "That's why you are so good at it." He helps himself to some rice and stew and begins to eat.

When both their plates are empty and Yami leans back, wiping his mouth, Yugi shakes his head and demands gently, "Alright, what happened?"

He is a magician, Yami knows, he feels things and looks into others' souls. From the day of his birth he has been able to see what no one else can see.

"I….met someone today…someone I have not seen for a long time and did not ever want to see again, for I humiliated myself in front of his eyes."

"Ah", Yugi nods. "Seto Kaiba, your new trapeze partner. But that is not all."

Yami tries not to wonder how Yugi knows. After all this time he should get used to the other's reading him.

"No", he confirms. "He challenged me to learn catching, so I went to ask Raphael for help. I heard him fight with Amelda. I am worried. It is not right for a trapeze team to be unable to trust one another. You have to be absolutely sure of your partner on the trapeze."

Yugi looks at him for a long minute, thinking. Something about his eyes takes the weight off Yami's shoulders, gives security. "Changes are not easy", his little brother finally says, "and often jealousy comes with a shift in an already established group of friends. Time and hard work force a group together. You cannot escape each other – the only other route is to make your way side by side. You will find your way and your trust."

"Thank you for believing in us, Yugi", Yami mumbles quietly, looking at the smaller boy, then he chuckles softly. "You talk like Jii-chan. But you never quite talked like a little boy, always more like an old man."

Yugi laughs too. "It's the words of an old man you need far more often than those of your little brother, I know," he replies mischievously.

They clean the plates and cutlery, then wish each other good night with a hug.

Sleep does not come quickly for Yami that night. He is tossing and turning, trying to find a comfortable position while the day's events are passing before his eyes.

Only with Yugi's comforting words in his ear does he finally find sleep.

* * *

"Now", Raphael says, deep concentration on his face, and his hands dive forward to meet Valon's hands and catch them securely in his grasp. The younger boy swings forward once, then back, performing a backwards flip on the reverse spring and landing on his own bar, steadied by Amelda. Sitting on a second bar, Yami is watching the tall catcher, trying to feel Valon's exact rhythm, the rhythm he has to get used to if he wants to catch him.

He has never been forced to watch his fellow artists so closely. He sees mistakes and small inequalities, but it does not matter, for Raphael catches and catches and always knows just where to extend his hands to his partner.

"It is your turn now", he finally says, looking at Yami as he sits up and moves away from the catching bar. "We are now exchanging places. Keep the ropes tight so Valon won't fall even if Yami doesn't catch him the first time." He does not look at Amelda as he says this and there is no affirmation from below. Valon, though, seems oblivious. Fearlessly, he prepares to jump.

Yami leans backwards on the bar until he is hanging with the bar in the hollows of his knees, waiting. "Ready?", Valon calls from the pedestal.

"Yes", Yami answers, eyes narrowed in concentration. The position is awkward and he feels the blood pounding in his ears.

Taking a relaxing breath, Valon bends his knees and jumps. There he is, just in front of Yami, and for a second, Yami believes he might get hit by Valon's foot. Then those feet rise into the air and he has to raise his head with difficulty so he can watch Valon come down again. He stretches out his hands and ….they barely meet with Valon's.

"Good!", Raphael calls, while Yami performs the reverse swing. "And again! Just a little bit sooner. You're doing it right." He helps Yami to steady the bar, then watches as he again leans down, preparing for the second catch. Again and again Valon's hands clasp around his, resting his weight and the momentum of his jump on Yami's hands, intensifying it even in the new swing, poised for the next movement.

Only once Yami misses Valon's left hand, catching only the right one. They take the time to swing once back and forth while Valon reaches up with his second hand, grasping Yami's outstretched fingers securely.

After an hour they climb down from the training rigging and Raphael pats Yami's shoulder. "You improved enormously this last week. Soon you will be able to do the most difficult of catches. You are truly a natural."

"I'll never be as good as you. You are so much stronger than me", Yami answers modestly, still smiling at the praise.

"You may not have this strength", Raphael shrugs his answer off, "but you have the skill. And since you will not be expected to catch a whole evening, strength does not matter that much anymore."

"Thank you", Yami smiles. Out of the corner of his eyes, he watches Seto Kaiba who only now climbs the rigging for his own training. They all wonder how he is doing it without a partner. "Do you think…I could already try…?"

Raphael's eyes too wander up to the solitary member of their team, who is busy attaching the security ropes to his body. "I think you could", he answers quietly. "But don't take any risks just yet."

"I won't", Yami promises, even as he sets his foot onto one of the ladders leading up to the gym ceiling where the pedestals and flying bars are attached.

When Raphael and the two other flyers leave, the hall is empty but for Seto Kaiba and Yami, who is climbing the rigging with the pace of a squirrel. The other man notices him only when he reaches the top, opposite him. His blue eyes focus on Yami, emotionless, but for a heartbeat all life seems to stop around them.

"Seto Kaiba", Yami shouts then, clasping security ropes in his hands to attach them, never taking his eyes off the other. "I want to begin our training"

He says now what should have been said a few weeks ago when Seto Kaiba first arrived at the camp. It should have been said before the first snow fell, before, furtively, the first Christmas presents were bought or even discovered carefully hidden somewhere. It should have been said when the future was still open. The words would not have been so grim.

Seto Kaiba is not deterred by the coldness ringing in those words. "Then we will begin", he states calmly, his own ice crushing that of his partner. His hands reach for the flying bar. "You catch first."

Climbing onto the bar, Yami wipes his suddenly sweaty hands on his training clothes where white magnesia powder still clings to the fabric. He pats them together and a tiny cloud of white powder rises into the air. Effortlessly, he lets himself sink backwards, the bar sliding into the hollows of his knees. He turns his head, strained in concentration, watching Seto Kaiba prepare for the jump.

He has never seen Seto Kaiba fly before, does not know his rhythm as he has learned Amelda's or Valon's during those last few weeks. The other man is extremely tall, compared to all of them. If he is a flyer, he has to have a certain weight limit, but he is still going to be heavier than the two small flyers Yami has trained with. Neither the length of his arms nor the speed of his flight are known to Yami. But as he raises his eyes to Yami's, there is the challenge again, and when Seto Kaiba jumps, Yami understands and he is ready.

Those long legs surge up in front of his face, a simple somersault, then the first contact of hands, like a bolt of lightning. He is lighter than he looks, but all his limbs are long and unfamiliar. The swing back is followed by the reverse swing and Seto Kaiba is surging up again. He does not reach out for his former bar.

Yami watches the lean body twist in the air, completely emotionless. He knows if he cannot catch Seto Kaiba he may fall. He does not even know if someone is steadying the security ropes from below. He knows but does not comprehend the thought. Fascination is all that registers. It is impossible to catch Seto Kaiba, for he is already swinging back. It is impossible to reverse the swing quickly enough.

All that Yami sees is the challenge. There is no panic, not even mild comprehension of danger. There is nothing but a fierce look of concentration in his eyes, and suddenly a faint idea. As he swings back, he lets his hands hang low to increase the momentum, then uses exactly this natural force to lift his body out of its hanging position, raising it above the steel bar as if sitting on it again, but plunging forward even as he reaches the point of sitting, completing a total circling of the bar in the hollows of his knees. His hands reach out, and it's enough. They make contact with Seto Kaiba's.

With the contact comes understanding. With understanding comes a wave of fear, shock, exultation and adrenaline. With the adrenaline comes the fast pounding of his heart and the heavy frightened breath. Swing back, reverse swing, letting go. Seto Kaiba sails towards the next flying bar, grasps it, lands fluidly on the pedestal.

Yami sits up. He meets the other man's eyes and for a second they are staring at each other. Yami feels his body shaking with fear and with fury, but he is unable to voice any of the thoughts running rampant through his head.

Seto Kaiba nods. "So I was right."

"Right in assuming what?", Yami whispers harshly, panting the words.

"Right in assuming you cope well with danger, Gypsy", is the answer delivered with a cold blue look. "Even when you were twelve I believed you extraordinary. You were skilled and you were daring." Seto Kaiba gives a mirthless laugh. "That is what I came here for. Courage, skill and daring. You accepted my challenge."

Yami does not say anything as he climbs down from the rigging and leaves the gym.

A sudden blackness takes his mind as he makes his way up the path towards the circus camp. Insecurity makes him stumble. Anger makes him grit his teeth. He is searching his mind for a place where he will be able to regain calm and security, and within his mind he finds it. But when he looks through the window of Raphael's house to find out if he is at home, he sees him lying on the sofa with Amelda in his arms. They seem to be talking quietly, drinking wine together. Carefully, Yami steps back from the window.

There is yet another place he can go to, and he finds his steps leading him to Bakura's door. His white-haired friend who opens the door for him proves an unbelievable sight, were Yami not used to the razor-sharp knives he holds in his left and right hand and even between his teeth, in the thick knot of his hair and hanging from his belt.

"Bakura, can I come in?", he wants to know and the other pulls the door wide open without a word.

"If it does not bother you that I'm cleaning my knives and that Ryou is there…", he adds, leading Yami into the living room.

"No, it's alright", Yami assures him and greets Ryou with a slight smile and a nod.

"Yami, you look pale", Ryou states sitting in an armchair with a book in his lap. Knives are everywhere, on the tables, the boards, and even the sofa. "Did something happen?"

"As a matter of fact, yes", Yami answers softly, taking his seat next to a sword the length of his forearm.

Outside the sky is slowly darkening and when Bakura returns with a cup of coffee he places in Yami's hands, he switches on the lights. Then he grabs one of the smaller swords and a little rug, beginning to rub it repeatedly over the iron surface. "Explain", he growls in his usual, low and dangerous voice, eyes on the sword.

"I trained with Seto Kaiba today for the first time", he answers, barely suppressing a shiver.

"The new trapeze artist?", Ryou wants to know and Bakura nods.

"Yes. I had accepted his challenge of learning how to catch. I felt ready to show him"

"Quite natural", Bakura huffs, experimentally bending one of the knives between his fingers, then continuing to rub it. "You always feel the need to prove yourself to others. Did you fall off?"

"No", Yami sighs, "I did the catching part and….Seto Kaiba did something I had not expected. When I had let go of him and was swinging back after the catch, he just spiralled himself up into the air. Not forward where he could grab the bar. He performed another trick, knowing I would not be able to reach him anymore the conventional way. I used inertia to swing right around the bar and caught him in the fall. Only then did I understand the danger. And he said he had been looking for daring and skill, coming here. He said he came because he saw those things in me. And I left."

They are silent for a moment. One of the knives cuts through the air, embedding itself with a sickening sound in one of the wooden walls that separates the kitchen from the living room. Bakura walks after it to pull it out again. "He sounds very crazy to me", he comments. "Why does it bother you so much?"

"That's what I don't understand", Yami whispers, sipping his coffee, "For five years I thought I wanted this, a second chance to prove myself to him. And now that I have it, I am disappointed and angry."

Bakura has finished wiping yet another knife clean and aims it carelessly at the wall.

"Maybe that's not all you wanted after all", he shrugs. The knife hits the wooden surface.

Silently, Yami lifts his head, eyes slightly wider than before. Ryou smiles at him. "Yes, maybe you wanted him to respect you not only as a flyer or catcher, but as a person."

"….._someone who encourages him and is always by his side."_

Outside, the cold wind picks up again. Snowflakes mingle in the cold, forming rough crystals. Inside, Yami's forgotten coffee is rapidly cooling while the young artist stares out into the darkness, Ryou watching him carefully and Bakura wiping a bronze dagger with his rug and a frown on his face.


	4. The Flyer's Game

The Flyer's Game

The breeze is soft today as it strokes the treetops of the small forest. Sunbeams hesitantly make their way through grey clouds on the horizon that look like they are torn by the wind in the sky of gentle blue. The snow, although there is not much left of it, still crunches under Yami's feet as he takes his eyes away from the picture of their quiet camp beside the forest and continues on his path towards the gym.

This time he is alone and has time to go over the routine in his mind. His limbs twitch softly as he anticipates the now familiar movements, there is a sharp nod of his head every time he imagines himself jumping or grabbing the hands of his partner. Only a few more steps lie between him and the gym when he has completed his imaginary performance and he stops for a moment, eyes resting on the front door.

Seto Kaiba is going to be there already. He is always the first, always faster, as if he knows the exact moment of Yami's arrival. Yami does not mind, he likes the idea of being the one Seto Kaiba has to wait for in order to begin their training.

Silently, he enters the building and changes into his training clothes. Having already done his stretches at the camp, he allows himself only a quick check of all his muscles, a small stretch here and there. Then he walks into the large hall of the gym.

By now he and Seto Kaiba are the first ones to do their training in the morning, getting up at about 5 am to be able to do their exercises properly. With the rising sun they walk towards the gym and when their relatives and companions at the camp awake, they are already soaring through the air, tightly secured by the ropes and by each other's awareness.

The inside of the hall is shadowed, for Seto Kaiba refuses to turn on the light. He wants the experience of their training to be realistic, knowing they will not be able to trust their eyes once they are in the ring, blinded by the bright light or shrouded by shadows.

"Good morning", Yami calls up toward the rigging where Seto Kaiba is already climbing, no more than a silhouette between the long ropes. A vague sound of affirmation is his only reply, but he has learned to content himself with this. For as little as he knows about his partner, he has come to know his quirks and habits. Yet, the better he feels he knows the other's movements, the further he seems to drift away from the thoughts behind those intense blue eyes.

As much as Yami understands Seto Kaiba's refusing to turn on the lights, sometimes he wishes for something to clear the shadows, something that shows him the tall man differently. Whenever he watches the other's shadowy movements, he wants to see more. Longing for the ability to read those eyes, he strives to get a better look at them as he feels them rest on him.

He grasps one of the ropes and hauls himself up with strength and experience built up in years of doing only this. Having reached the top he attaches the security ropes and joins his partner in further raising the rigging, securing the metal bars, twice checking knots essential to their safety.

Finally they face each other on opposite pedestals, mentally preparing for the jump. They usually do a few simple catches and throws before they start the routine. For Yami, the term "simple" has been constantly redefined during the last few months.

Seto Kaiba begins the training by jumping off the pedestal and performing a small spin in the air before grabbing the bar on his side of the rigging. The bars they are using have lost their definition as "flying" or "catching" bars. They are now both, whatever they may need them to be. Still on the swing forward, Seto Kaiba hoists himself up until his arms of steel are fully stretched and his hips rest on the bar. He drags his feet after him and they slip gracefully over the bar which slides into the hollows of his knees. He is on the backswing now. Leaning back he increases the speed as gravity has him change course towards Yami, ready for the catch. It is his turn now.

What Yami feels when he jumps are not his feet leaving ground. It is the rush of air in Seto Kaiba's ears and he feels the other's swing, concentrating on it more than on the small somersault he is performing. Their hands meet and clasp and for the duration of a heartbeat, Yami looks into Seto Kaiba's blue eyes, full of intense concentration. When the swing forward has reached its highest point, the tall catcher lets go of Yami's left hand and just before the swing is reversed, Yami lets the now free hand join the right. The beginning reverse swing gives him the chance to now let go with the right hand and turn around fully, so he is no longer facing backwards. This allows him to perform a more complicated spin when Seto Kaiba lets go of his hands, allows him also to land safely on the pedestal.

While Seto Kaiba swings backwards, Yami unties a small strap fixing another bar to the side posts of the pedestal, where it has been kept out of the way. Now it is put to use as Yami swings forward and brings himself into catching position in much the same way Seto Kaiba has done before. The latter has meanwhile returned to flying position, both hands firmly on the bar as he swings towards Yami, faster than him. He lets go of the bar and with only a small somersault reaches out for his hands, grasping safely. A second later he takes off again, towards the pedestal Yami has been standing on. Yami brings his hands up to the bar and lets his legs slide down. He is facing away from Seto Kaiba, but there is no fear when he lets go of the bar and turns in the air only to be welcomed by his partner's strong arms, by the sight of feet planted safely on the pedestal even as he is already pulled up. They rest for a moment, breathing hard, staring at each other with their hands still clasped between them.

"You have come a long way", Seto Kaiba states quietly, a tinge of admiration in his voice that makes Yami's eyes widen. "Ready for the routine?"

Still stunned by the unexpected praise, Yami can only nod, watching the other man take a swing back to the opposite pedestal. Suddenly an all-encompassing idea takes shape in his mind and before he has thought it through he is already calling out to the other.

"Seto Kaiba! It is my turn to challenge you. My every catch is an answer to a personal question I ask you on our way back. The same applies to you. What do you say?"

The silence is so complete and oppressive Yami thinks the other must be able to hear his heart beating. Were he able to move, he would fidget with unbearable nervousness, for it is just like sitting on needles. A challenge to give their professional relationship a different spin has been initiated. It is like adding a new spice to a meal that has become dull with the months, ultimate destruction and surprisingly tasty discovery lie so close. The tension is hard to bear, but finally he hears the answer, dark and obscured by the shadows, "Agreed."

For a moment Yami closes his eyes, swaying slightly, then focussing intensely, preparing mentally for the one routine that could change everything if only he succeeds. Today he has to catch, no matter what. Absent fingers stroke over the bracelet he is wearing, an ancient circus charm made from elephant hair.

Yami is the first one to catch, this time. Tightening his hold on the steel bar he finally takes the leap into the darkness below and soars through the air in a rush of wind, excitement and adrenaline heightening as he imagines rising towards the yellow stars on the top of the tent. At the highest point of his flight his feet come up, slide underneath the bar between his arms and hook around it to prepare for the catch as he is already on the reverse swing. Hanging down by his knees on the next forward swing he experiences an entirely different rush of exciting sensation and anticipation. Slightly turning his head he sees Seto Kaiba jump and perform a complicated movement in the air before coming down to meet his arms, safely. The first catch, the easiest, is completed.

Seto Kaiba's hands are cool in his as Yami reverses the swing, the additional weight first seeming to drag him downwards, then propelling him even higher before they swing forward again. The hands clasped with his are tightening for a moment and then, abruptly, they let go to allow Seto Kaiba a horizontal jump into the air, spinning. Yami, though, is not looking at the breathtaking display of finest trapeze arts for he is already on the reverse swing, away from the other. He knows this trick well, after all it was the first Seto Kaiba ever showed him, or rather forced him to perform. Bar in the hollow of his knees, he swings around in a full circle and catches his partner as he falls out of the air. The reverse swing is almost completed and their hands do not hold onto each other for long. The heavy weight leaves Yami's arms as Seto Kaiba lets go once more and jumps onto Yami's pedestal.

Reaching out for the ropes of the trapeze bar, Yami pulls himself into a standing position, continuing to swing back and forwards while his partner is untying yet another trapeze bar, this one hanging about three metres lower than the other. Seto Kaiba takes this bar into position, swinging one-handed, then sitting down gracefully, waiting. For a moment Yami closes his eyes. A jump of three metres into a pool of water is a challenge to overcome for a young boy on a diving board. A jump of three metres performed in ten metres' height, without putting too much trust into the safety ropes that will be removed for the final performance, is another challenge altogether.

Yami remembers the learning of this particular trick very well. Standing on his bar like he is now, he heard Seto Kaiba's voice from below, "Jump immediately when I tell you to, a single somersault", and then even louder, "I _will_ catch you."

Yami trusted him as he trusts him now. The second trapeze is directly underneath him as he jumps. This fall is fast, faster than any of the falls he knows. There is barely enough time for the somersault before he feels the other grab his hands. Again their eyes meet. It is the first successful catch for Seto Kaiba in their new game.

There is no reverse swing for Yami as he already has to let go and turn once in the air, moving slightly forward in the process to land with both his feet on the metal bar Seto Kaiba is still hanging down from in catching position. Yami, too, facing in the opposite direction, lowers himself down so the bar rests in the hollows of his knees and they are back to back, arms touching full length. Then Seto Kaiba's hands reach for his and he clasps them as his partner lifts his feet from the bar and puts himself in flying position.

Next to them there is a forth bar, almost as low as the one they are performing on at the moment. Seto Kaiba has untied this bar from where it was fixed to the pedestal right in the beginning. In an actual performance the bars will be lowered from the top of the tent by Mokuba Kaiba, the tall artist's brother.

Now, Seto Kaiba jumps forward towards this new bar and slides easily into catching position while Yami puts his hands onto the bar and unhooks his legs to be ready for another jump. With a wide leg movement, he increases the speed and height of the bar, swinging back and forward again three times before he lets go. The tricks, spins and turns he is performing now are the most difficult in the entire routine, and he is totally focussed upon them with all his senses. His hand almost slips past Seto Kaiba's but the tall man manages to grab it in the last second and they swing back safely as Yami releases a small breath from his lungs. They swing forward again and Yami soars up into the air feet-first this time. Bending a little, he performs a somersault right between the ropes of the trapeze bar, meeting Seto Kaiba's hands on their way into the reverse swing. This is the last catch for Seto Kaiba and he has performed them all without mistakes. Only one more, Yami reflects, dimly aware of the fact that it is important somehow, only one more catch and it is his turn.

Seto Kaiba lets go of his hands and Yami is flying down towards the lowest bar again. He grabs it easily and hooks his legs around the bar one last time. The reverse swing is fast and he turns his head only slightly, concentrating hard. He has almost reached the highest point of the swing when Seto Kaiba jumps down. All his limbs are stretched out and the jump is almost vertical. Like a tiger through the hoop of fire he sails through the space between the ropes of the lowest trapeze bar where he bends down and grabs Yami's hands just as the reverse swing begins. The force of his jump is so great he is swinging up again, pulling Yami with him as they both circle the bar once more. When he is directly above the bar, Seto Kaiba lets go and Yami lets himself fall forward to make up for the loss of weight pulling him around the bar. His partner's hands join his on the bar and they now hang back to chest, swinging in unison, pressed together tightly. This is the most exciting rush for Yami, the best part of the performance and this is also where he suddenly remembers the purpose of his game and the three successful catches each of them has completed.

Seto Kaiba's heart is beating against his back, straining out of the other's chest, just like his own, seeking for escape out of the tight confines of the human body. He listens to his partner's breath that gusts over his ear as he closes his eyes and concentrates on the rhythm of the swing to match their movements perfectly. The third swing together ends and Seto Kaiba pushes his body backwards and away from him, bending it and lifting his feet, placing them on the bar. The reverse swing supports his movements, pushing him up onto the bar until he is standing there. Yami follows on the forward swing, raising his legs and sliding into catching position but only to bend his upper body away from the ground where Seto Kaiba grabs his arms and skilfully pulls him into a sitting position between his feet. There they are, Yami sitting, his partner standing above him, each with one outstretched arm. The routine is completed.

"Good", Seto Kaiba says slowly, "With this much concentration the performance should certainly go well. Time to remove the rigging. Then we will talk."

Yami can only nod, overwhelmed all of a sudden. They take down the trapeze bars and pedestals, they untie the knots and free themselves of the security ropes. They leave the basic rigging for the other trapeze artists who will exercise after them. While Seto Kaiba vanishes into the dressing room, Yami remains a few more minutes in the quiet gym, trying to slow his thoughts and his nervous heartbeat. As he finally turns and heads for the door he almost runs into Valon.

"I'm sorry", the young boy apologises quickly and for a moment Yami thinks there is extreme distress and hurt on his face. The strange expression is gone before he can identify it and replaced with a smile. "Hey, Yami! Think you could spare some minutes for me after lunch? There is something I want to talk to you about."

"Certainly", Yami replies amiably, "Can you give me a hint so I know what I'm in for?"

Valon grins, somewhat grimly. "Love advice, Parrot, love advice."

Yami's eyebrows shoot up. "Love advice, from me? Why do you think I am the right person to ask?"

The smaller boy winces a little. "Shh, quiet", he admonishes gently, then shrugs. "I just know. Please?"

With a sigh, Yami nods. "Of course. We will meet at lunch. Good luck for your training."

"Good luck to you too!", Valon calls, smiling a little wider. They part when Yami walks into the changing room.

His tall body leaned against the door post Seto Kaiba is already waiting for him. He is dressed as usual, in a dark violet trench coat over comfortable black jeans and an equally dark shirt. His eyes and face are impassive as he watches Yami putting on his clothes. Once more, Yami's heart is pounding, somewhat differently from the racing heartbeat he experiences on the trapeze. His hands shake just a little as he turns his bare back to the other man and reaches for his discarded clothes. When he is fully dressed, he takes a small breath and steps closer to Seto Kaiba. The tall artist opens the door for him and they walk out into the soft daylight.

The breeze Yami has felt in the morning has now intensified, playing with Seto Kaiba's trench coat as they walk. The sunbeams are warm on their skin but the breeze is still chilly and Yami crosses his arms over his chest protectively.

Seto Kaiba's voice is low and the suddenness of the words surprises him.

"Your game."

For a moment his breath is caught in his throat then he manages to nod. "Of course. I will begin if you do not mind." He takes a minute to consider while the wind tousles their hair and they further make their way towards the camp. "What was your life like, before this, before you joined us?"

There is almost a smirk playing around Seto Kaiba's lips. "I could just say it was crap, but that would be playing a foul game", he answers slowly. "You caught well today, so you deserve a real answer."

Tiny shivers are crawling down Yami's back as he struggles for his calm around the other. Seto Kaiba does not heed it but continues to speak.

"My life began with my adoptive father. I cannot remember my real parents and all that I know is that they apparently couldn't or wouldn't keep me and my little brother Mokuba. Not that our stepfather loved us any better than they did." There is a mirthless, sarcastic laugh as Seto Kaiba's eyes find the horizon and are fixed on the forest behind the distant camp. "He wanted me to become a businessman, just like him, to take over his company, to know it still under his complete control should he be forced to retire one day with me as his heir. I was fascinated at first, but his methods of training his future heir were not exactly pleasant. Then he made a grave mistake. He had always ignored my brother, but when I refused to comply any longer, he used my brother to blackmail me, hurting him in the process. I knew we had to get away by then, so I secretly applied for the National School of Trapeze Arts, finding the means to travel and take my brother with me. I do not know why the idea crossed my mind. Probably because there was a circus in town when all this happened and beneath the starry top I discovered freedom. Mokuba too found a place in our circus school, he can do much more than just juggling, I assure you. I was content, and I finally began to live my own life. Circus school is full of competition and if your soul is not strong enough to stand the constant pressure, you fail or are replaced. It certainly wasn't harder schooling than what my stepfather had put us through."

All of a sudden, Seto Kaiba's eyes meet Yami's once more. "In order to live my own life, to feel this freedom, I have to face danger. I can accept only the highest of skills, for this is what I have been taught all my life. I know I am pushing others too hard but I cannot feel sorry for it. This is the only way of being who I am, being fiercely competitive. And finally, I think, I have found someone who is just like me."

Yami's stumbles slightly upon hearing those words and Seto Kaiba is turning from him with a small smirk playing around his lips again. "I am not like you", Yami tells him, letting his whisper drift on the breeze. His eyes do not speak with the same confidence his mouth possesses.

"Not in every aspect, no", his training partner answers mysteriously. "But I assure you that we are alike, somehow. Because I can feel it and because I knew you could feel it when we met for the first time."

Caught off guard, heart beating with shame and nervousness, Yami does not reply.

"What is your second question?", Seto Kaiba encourages him.

For a moment Yami thinks, but the decision is made all too soon. With a heart raging with the madness of daring he demands, "What is your life like now, here with us?"

There is silence and the wind stops for a moment as if the heavens know a threshold has been crossed. But then Seto Kaiba follows, easily providing the information.

"This is a lot better than my life at the artist school. I am my own master now. And no, before you ask, I do not respect the authority of your ringmaster. I respect him in person and if things run smoothly I certainly won't go against him, but I'll never be restricted. I will be free to do what I want."

Yami cannot help but interrupt, his voice a little harsher than usual, almost disappointed. "It seems awfully egoistic to me. Do we not all depend on each other, here at the circus? We are a family, a team, there is no place for egoism."

"Ahh, you don't know the pleasure of egoism, Yami. You don't know the way you can go if you remain true to your own ideals only and work towards your own achievement. If it is the same as for the others, and I guess this is the case here at your circus, then there are no problems and we all will work towards the same end."

"You did not come for company then." This time there is barely masked devastation in Yami's voice, but Seto Kaiba shakes his head, slightly patronising as if he is dealing with a young child that misunderstands the situation.

"I did come for you, didn't I?"

Once more, Yami is rendered speechless at the bluntness of those words, heart beating faster. Seto Kaiba uses his silence to continue.

"There is still one question for you. You caught three times today."

There is already a question on Yami's lips.

_You came. For...me. Why for me? _

He swallows quickly. "What do you want your future to be like?", he asks instead.

Abruptly, Seto Kaiba stops. There is something like a laugh in his voice as he speaks. "I never lived in the future. I do not cling to foolish hopes and dreams. I have independence now - that is what I wanted. I want to be the best – that is my ultimate goal. But I do not think I want to be the best on my own anymore."

He turns towards Yami again, eyes boring into his and for the first time they seem to lose a bit of their ice and shine with a quenching fire instead, no less dangerous, no less beautiful.

"Being the best is very lonely. I never minded loneliness, but I begin to think there is something that might make you even better, even bigger. That in life there is something like a trapeze partner that can help you perform better and more spectacular moves than you could ever do on my own."

Yami chuckles a little. "This does not sound like your former praise of egoism, Seto Kaiba."

"I make an exception for someone of equal skill. Because I put the highest value in life in skill, not in egoism. Egoism is a means towards gaining more skill, but I know very well when it is unnecessary or out of place. I'm egoistic when I need to be."

There seems to be spell on the taller man's eye for Yami cannot take his own off the other's face. They stand close to the camp, the breeze in their hair.

"But you also make an exception for your brother, don't you?"

_Because you love him._

He almost speaks the words aloud.

"Mokuba does not need any exceptions", Seto Kaiba explains shortly. "He does not belong to the 'rest of the world', no rules apply to him. As much as he is his own person, he is still a part of my soul."

They are silent for a moment, still standing where they stopped. "I need to think", Yami murmurs softly. "We will meet for training tomorrow then."

When he attempts to turn away a strong hand on his shoulder stops him. "We did not get a chance to play the second part of your game. If you have thought enough in the evening, come to mine and Mokuba's house. It is my turn."

Paralysed with the suddenness of the touch, Yami can only nod, before all but running towards his own house.

The door echoes loudly in the empty house as he slams it shut and leans against it, panting softly, eyes wide as he raises his hands and looks at the faint white scars again. As usual after training they stand out more sharply as the blood flows faster through his hands, initiated by the extensive use of his limbs during the trapeze acts. Using them to push his hair away from his face, he takes a look around the small corridor from which three doors lead into separate bedrooms, the kitchen or the bathroom. Then he quickly vanishes into the latter, not wanting to see Yugi right know, being sure that the other will know instantly that something has happened. For now, he has to think on his own.

Hot water cleansing his body, he tries to order his thoughts and emotions, running over the entire training again, remembering Seto Kaiba's answers to his questions. When he looks out of the small bathroom window and sees behind the steamy glass somewhere the small house his trapeze partner lives in, there is a strange lurch in his stomach, not painful but entirely different from anything he has ever felt.

As he returns from the shower, rubbing his hair with a towel on his way to the bathroom, he almost collides with Yugi. "I am sorry, dear brother!", the smaller boy calls breathlessly and Yami notices the somehow flushed face and wonders what has happened. The younger boy has already skipped into the kitchen, calling out to Yami that he is going to prepare their lunch.

"Oh, and Yami?", he adds, "Valon will join us in half an hour, he was very keen on talking to you."

"Ah, yes", Yami, who has almost forgotten about the earlier meeting with the small flyer, remembers and finishes drying his hair. After he is dressed in comfortable warm clothes and his favourite violet socks, he walks into the kitchen. "Should I help you?", he wants to know, but Yugi waves him off.

"No, no, I am sure today's meal will be wonderful if I do it. I can feel my fingers tingle."

Yugi's fingers' tingling is a certain sign that his whole body is loaded with energy only he is sensing, whether of magical or simply human nature, Yami does not know. He only knows that whenever Yugi's fingers tingle, the day is special to all of them, from the little magician himself to even the horses in their stalls. How this is possible he does not know. When Yugi's fingers tingled the last time, it was a bad sign, for that day Sugoroku had to be taken to the hospital because of his back for the first time. But Yami knows more. It was also the day Leon hid a red rose in Rebecca's saddle. It was the day he saw Pegasus shedding a tear over an old letter he seemed to have found somewhere within his many boxes. It was the day Ishizu found out that Sitah, her camel, was pregnant, and it was the day Bakura passed his last exam at the school he was tested and earned his certificate.

"Did something happen already?", Yami wants to know, half curiously, half nervously.

Yugi throws him a knowing look. "Judging by the way you look at the moment, definitely, and it is about your trapeze training again. But I'm sure you have also seen that it was a very interesting morning for me."

Yami chuckles a little. "Now, define 'interesting' for me. You sure were blushing when you skipped into the house."

With a small smile Yugi empties a pack of noodles into the pot. "I watched Anzu's training today, when I was done with mine. We went for a walk away from the camp, away from everyone. We each took a horse out for a ride. Of course I cannot ride the way she does but I still enjoyed it a lot. Do you know how the birds sing in the trees? How each little plant whispers with the promises of spring? Anzu may not sense things like I do, but she feels nature the same way. I feel close to her, and I know she feels close to me. Thus I lead our horses side by side and leaned over to kiss her."

Hearing this, Yami feels his own smile spreading over his face slowly and a new happiness and pride felt for his little brother fills him.

"Do you know this entirely new magic, Yami?" Yugi looks at him intensely, noodles forgotten as the water slowly beings to boil. "I am almost certain you know it", the smaller boy concludes finally, and Yami cannot help the soft blush on his cheeks. "I will not pry, Yami", his brother assures him, "you know I do not need to do so. But you can be completely open whenever that magical something happens between you and the one you want."

The breathless question escapes before Yami can stop it. "Do you think it will? Do you think he even cares?" Then his eyes widen in horror and he barely refrains from the urge to slap his hand in front of his mouth.

"Do not worry, Yami, I knew anyway." Yugi turns back to the noodles and smiles as he starts to prepare tomatoes for pasta. "And yes, I think so. There is too much between you to go unnoticed."

Yami sighs softly. "I am invited to his house in the evening, because I started a game of asking and telling. It is my turn to tell, and his to ask. I am nervous…but of course I will go."

"I advise you so", Yugi confirms. "I am no fortune teller and the future of this is unknown to me, but I am sure that you will regret whatever chance you do not take now."

Slowly, Yami nods. Then he gives a small laugh. "So, Yugi, what about Rebecca now?"

There is almost a frown in Yugi's voice as he speaks. "I always knew Leon was right for her. Why she does not realise it is beyond me, the flow of energy is so strong even Bakura can feel it." They both snicker at the joke when the door is thrown open.

"Heh, what about the white-haired devil?", Valon wants to know, grinning slightly. "Hey, Yami, great you have some time for me. Wow, Yugi, this smells awesome!"

"Thank you", the younger brother laughs, "And you needn't ask, you are invited to join us for lunch, of course."

"Aw, you're the best", Valon sighs contentedly, sinking into the chair. "How was your training, Yami? Going well? Did that big silent jerk keep you busy again?" He winks a little, then leans back and crosses his arms behind his head.

"You could say that", Yami mutters softly. "Training was nice... But what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Coming to the point straight away, hm?", Valon muses. "I'll have to play along, I guess. Well...you know I like Amelda, don't you? Have been feeling that way ever since I first saw him."

Yami nods, having expected a confession like that, but unable to keep his face from falling a little. Valon recognises the look.

"Yes, I know...he's with Raphael. I found out soon enough. But I found him looking at me as well...and...I just couldn't stop feeling, you know?"

A little more reassured when Yami nods again, he continues. "So, one night during this past month or so, I went to see Raphael, and I confessed. Everything."

There is an oppressive silence while Valon's eyes are lowered to the ground and Yami's have become wide. Yugi speaks up first. "That was very courageous of you," he says softly.

Valon gives him a small smile. "Yeah, well, I guess it's just me – can't keep my mouth shut about things like that. And I felt he had to know. He was grim, but he was sympathetic, telling me I should see Amelda and discuss it with him. But...I couldn't. Things were hard enough as they were...for me, for Raphael – I didn't want to mess up our working relationship completely, so I politely refused and told Raphael that I was okay and that I preferred to refrain from telling Amelda..."

"So you gave up on him?", Yami asks softly, concern showing on his face.

Shrugging, Valon stands and looks around for an empty glass to pour himself some water. He gives a surprised "Oh" when Yugi hands him an already filled glass. "You get better at this stuff every day, man", he mutters, "In a few years you can read minds. Anyway", he continues," you have to say I at least made an effort. It wasn't that easy but I thought I could live with it..." He takes a large gulp of water.

"Until today?", Yami wants to know, anxious about what is to come.

Valon nods, swallowing. "Until today...until today that red-haired fucker came up to me and asked me if I wanted to join them tonight."

Yami's jaw drops. Yugi's eyes widen. They both take a moment to glance at each other, confirming their individual reactions. Their guest meanwhile scratches his neck.

"Don't look like that, guys, I wasn't the one offering...and that's where I am right now. Insanely happy on the one hand because I finally get my chance, indecisive on the other, nervous as hell if they're just going to trick me, embarrassed because I never thought about Raphael that way, humbled because they would care, because they would want me there."

"And you want my, well, our advice?", Yami asks, incredulously.

"Yes, well...", Valon mumbles, "Couldn't think of anyone else...I don't know many people here, you know. Usually I discuss things with Amelda and Raphael because they're my partners."

Unnoticed by Valon, but not by Yugi, Yami's hands fidget at those words. He continues in his normal tone of voice, though.

"You know...I cannot judge this any better than you can, Valon. But I don't think they would trick you. They are honest men. Partners at the circus don't trick each other – we know we have to live together somehow. We don't do things like that to each other. And...try to consider it from this point of view...if you don't go, you'll regret it, won't you?"

Valon bites his lip, but nods in agreement. "That's true...you're right I guess. So, I'm going."

He takes a deep breath. "Wish me luck guys...and the same to you."

Yugi smiles. "Pasta's ready", he announces. "We can eat now."

Both Yami and Valon are silent throughout the meal. Yugi fills the voids in between with light and superficial chatter, seemingly knowing how hard it is for the two of them to make up their resolve.

Valon leaves soon after they have finished the noodles, announcing that he has to go find something suitable to wear, startling Yami terribly with the realisation that he too will have to make preparations.

As soon as the smaller boy is gone, Yami races into his room to find something. The task is not easy, it is not like he has ever had a reason to dress specially before. Yugi follows him and watches him throwing items of clothing out of their shared cupboard.

"You know," Yugi says softly after a while from where he is sitting on the bed, "It's not clothes that will determine your fate tonight. You never wore anything special for him before, did you?"

"I guess not." Yami sighs, contemplatively eyeing a green shirt he is holding in his hands.

"Think this will do? Together with the jeans, maybe?"

Yugi shakes his head with a secretive smile. "The jeans are a good choice but green doesn't suit you at all, brother. Consider your hair! Red, yellow or black will be perfect. Personally, I would go for this."

He lifts up a black shirt with long sleeves made from black, transparent fabric. "It will make you look graceful and bring out the benefits of your age and your hard training. You might want to wash that hair of yours, too." He grins a little. "And I would suggest you tie it up, but I know you are going to refuse."

"You're right about that," Yami mumbles, quickly vanishing into the bathroom. "Thank you, Yugi!"

It takes him an hour to get ready, and the constant agitation makes him a little calmer. However, when the evening still is not nearing, the nervous fidgeting returns until Yugi advises him to read a book.

Yami gives him an incredulous look. "One could come to think you are doing this kind of thing every day, Yugi."

The smaller boy smiles softly. "Meeting with another person is never as difficult as meeting with your actual self. I have to do this all the time to be able to cross my boundaries. You will find yourself in the same situation soon, but it is not going to be about the kind of magic I am training for."

Yami gives him a puzzled look. "Sometimes you confuse me, Yugi." But he smiles and hugs his younger brother.

Three hours later he finally leaves the house, his hands shaking a little as he walks through the ever darkening evening towards the house Seto Kaiba shares with his little brother.

Before he gets the chance to knock, the door opens. Yami stops in his tracks, eyes travelling over the new sight of Seto Kaiba in black jeans and a black buttoned shirt. For a moment there is silence but for a night bird's eerie chant. Then, the taller man beckons him closer with a wave of his hand and as he steps into the warm house, the door closes behind him.


	5. The Card's Prediction

**Author's Notes: **

Many thanks from mic for the comments on her pictures! We're both glad you like them!

This is actually the last chapter, complete with an epilogue…I hope you won't kill me once you reach the end of the story. Enjoy. I'm ever yours faithfully and thanks to each reviewer!

**The Card's Prediction**

The winds are howling when Yami steps out of the caravan. The morning is still dark as usual at the start of the circus season, but the roustabouts are already at work, doing their best to avoid a blowdown. Quickly, Yami pulls his warm jacket closer around his body and joins them.

"One hell of a storm, ain't it?", Joey shouts into his ear, fighting to steady one of the quarter poles.

"Worse than anything we had last year," Yami agrees, worriedly, as he too grabs the metal pole while Joey fights to pull over one of the granite supports they are using to secure the poles. "I hope the storm stops until the evening. We need to begin our training, we are already an hour behind. There is much to lose."

Joey gives him a slightly worried look. "You seem to be caring a lot more than usual, lately", he mutters, but Yami does not comprehend the meaning of the words over the howling of the storm and only regards him blankly for a moment, then returns to his fight with the red plastic canvas that is thrown about by the winds.

Almost all of the artists are helping to raise the big top today, worried faces everywhere, shouts colliding in the storm or being drowned by its howling. Not far from them Yugi holds the canvas for Anzu to tie it to a quarter pole while trying to persuade their grandfather to step back and spare his back the hard labour.

On his other side there is Ishizu working with Malik in a similar manner. Somewhere behind Bakura, rounding the next corner, he believes to see wind-blown brown bangs, the silhouette of a tall man, bending a little to shout something at a smaller boy with wild black hair.

It takes them almost two hours of work to fully raise the tent and secure it. The storm has calmed a little by then, the winds are no longer fiercely tugging at the canvas, only now and then a gust pulls at one of the flaps covering the entrance.

Sighing, Yami wipes his forehead and gives Joey a smile. "I could use some hot drink now", he mumbles to himself.

"That can easily be arranged", he hears a feminine voice behind himself mutter, and turns to find Ishizu giving him a smile. It strikes him strangely worried, stern with something painful in her eyes, but there is still invitation and kindness there. "Would you like some Egyptian tea? I have a new brand I would like to test and we have not been talking in ages. What do you say, Yami?"

Intrigued, Yami nods and smiles at her. "Thank you, Ishizu, I will gladly accept the invitation."

Thus Yami follows Malik and Ishizu into their caravan, fighting his bad conscience down since the weather does not allow any training anyway. His partner has not suggested a training pattern for the day yet, so there might be some spare time.

Inside it is warmer and the small caravan is well protected from the winds. It is still colder than the temperatures he is used to after the long winter spent in a comfortable house, so he keeps on his jacket as he takes his seat in the narrow kitchen.

Malik joins him, giving him a slight smile. "You doing well, Yami? I have not seen you in a while, always doing exercises here and training on the rigging there and never having enough time to stop for a little chat."

He winks at Yami's guilty expression. "Don't worry," he adds, "we still love you, even if you don't have much time for us. He is keeping you busy, though." There is a soft chuckle in his voice. Yami grins back tentatively, a little uneasy with the way their conversation is going.

Thankfully, Malik changes the topic. "What do you think about his little brother, though? Isn't he incredibly good?"

"That he is", Yami agrees. "He and Leon make a wonderful team. They have both accomplished considerable improvement together during the last few months. They are good for each other, you might say, there is creativity and development in their working relationship."

"Sounds familiar to me," Malik grins, and he is back on the topic Yami is trying to avoid.

Again he is spared embarrassment as Ishizu chooses exactly that moment to carry in the freshly poured tea and shoos Malik out of his seat.

"I believe you wanted to take a hot shower, boy?", she calls sternly.

In answer Malik rolls his eyes. "No, my lady, that was you", he rectifies. "You think I'm getting sick because I'm 'not used to the evil bad weather'"

"As you have almost been three times this winter, only kept from falling ill by my special treatments", Ishizu replies dryly and raises an eyebrow at him.

Muttering darkly to himself, Malik finally leaves the room and Ishizu takes his seat opposite Yami.

She sighs softly, hands folding around her teacup. "As I am sure you have noticed already, Yami," she begins hesitantly, "there is something I want to talk to you about. Or rather, there is something I might want you to tell me about...I do not want to worry you, but I have had a number of nightmares recently, which lead to my consulting the cards."

Yami's heart begins to pound a little faster in his chest. Just as the entire circus family knows that Yugi is a true magician, they know that Ishizu possesses the gift of foresight, the incredible awareness and accurate judgement of the present situation that allows her an almost eerie outlook onto the future, amplified in her interpretation of the tarot cards, a family heirloom.

"The dreams have pointed you out", Ishizu continues, "and they have indicated something happening to you...and to someone close to you. The cards did not offer any further explanation. I was hoping I could find hints in a consultation of the cards together with you. Would you want to know?"

Yami takes a large gulp from his tea in order to hide the shaking of his hands. Is there a danger to Yugi? Will Jii-chan's back get worse? Is it one of his friends from the circus group...or...even his partner?

"I am giving you a choice", Ishizu says quietly, never taking her eyes off him. "My dreams may not always be right, my interpretation of the cards can err just as much. Tomorrow you may have forgotten my words, the future will come. Sometimes it is not right to try to interfere, but sometimes the cards can offer helpful advice, not concerning the future but your present situation that may help you avoid an unpleasant event in the future. What do you say?"

Yami puts his cup down tenderly. He lowers his head and takes a deep breath. "I...want to consult the cards with you. I will not let them determine my future...but I want to know."

"That is wise", Ishizu murmurs and stands to get the cards.

The wind picks up speed and howls outside and Ishizu, opening one of the drawers in the near cupboard, is distracted for a second and asks him to turn on the small lamp standing close to the table. "It seems to get darker, does it not?"

The unusual stormy darkness is replaced by the gentle, flickering but nonetheless eerie light of the lamp as Yami lights it and settles down into his chair again, letting his fingers be warmed by the cup he is holding.

"The Celtic Cross will give enough information", Ishizu decides slowly, opening a wooden box carved with foreign symbols. "Alright, Yami. Do not fear this – we will try to find some good advice for you, try to find the cards' warning. None of this will truly predict your future, but it may influence the way you act or react and therefore influence it."

Yami nods, slowly. For a moment he is carried back to pleasant memories of childhood friends gathering around Ishizu and a small candle during a cold winter night, blankets over their shoulders, enjoying the excitement of getting a glimpse at the future when Ishizu read the cards for each of them.

Ishizu shuffles, then draws ten cards and places them on the table in the pattern of the Celtic Cross – two crossed in the middle, four arranged around them in a cross, four aligned next to the cross. Then, glancing briefly at Yami, she looks down at her cards, silent for a few minutes while Yami nervously sips his tea.

"Alright", Ishizu says softly, "Let us try to find the meaning of this together." She taps the bottom card of the two crossed ones in the middle. "The first position, you – the Heart of the Matter. Your present situation. The card you see here is called The Magician. It suggests willpower, confidence, potential for new beginnings. That is where you stand right now, and what you are."

There is a sudden flash of memory as Yami listens to what Ishizu is telling him.

"_I am not like you"_

"_Not in every aspect, no". Windswept brown bangs, fluttering trench coat. "But I assure you that we are alike, somehow. Because I can feel it and because I knew you could feel it when we met for the first time."_

He shakes his head softly. Then he nods at Ishizu and indicates her to continue.

"This card crossed over the other, that is the Opposing Factor, or the Factor of Change. This is...Judgement. Something you did or experienced in the past is probably catching up with you, be it a positive or a negative influence."

"Are we talking about my recent past?", Yami wants to know, memories already at work. There is only one event he can think of that could have such a vast influence. There are words coming to his mind…

_Seto Kaiba stands in the door of his house, looking at him with fiery ice in his gaze, heating him and melting him and freezing him, leaving him exposed to all the forces of nature combined. _

"_Come in, Yami", he says, opening the door a little wider. _

_The house is silent and already the corners are darkening with the approaching night. It looks very similar to all the other houses in the camp, but it has a very personal touch with large shelves of books, stern and intimidating, but cheerful plants in between, suggesting the presence of a young, gentle spirit. There is a comfortable sofa in the living room, and a large armchair, both arranged around a small wooden table. _

"_Take a seat", Seto Kaiba invites and walks towards a small cooking space, opening the refrigerator as Yami carefully sits down on the cinnamon coloured plush of the sofa. "Beer? Wine? Soda?"_

_Letting his eyes travel over the room, Yami swallows and replies, "Soda will be fine, thank you."_

_Placing two glasses on the table in front of them, Seto Kaiba takes his seat in the armchair and crosses his legs. Yami meanwhile shifts uncomfortably, waiting for the awkward silence to end. _

"_Well, Yami", the deep voice that sends a shiver up his spine finally breaks it. "I believe it is time for you to answer my first question. I am not very inventive. What was your life like when you were a child?"_

_Somehow, he has expected this. The answer is carefully chosen, as if prepared. _

"_Lonely. Uncomfortable. Difficult. I was never sure if people liked me as a person or simply pitied me and my little brother. We had both lost our parents, I never knew my mother, Yugi lost his when he was two. We do not have the same mother, you know. My mother was a townie, as our father used to tell me. When they met each other she was convinced she could live the circus life. But it is hard for someone who has known life so differently to change enough to fit in with a circus, especially since she did not perform herself. At least that is how my father described it._

_My entire childhood I wondered if people saw her in me, if they blamed me for her treachery of leaving my father, if they saw only her blood flow within me. _

_However, my entire adolescence I wondered if people only saw my father in me, the best flyer this circus has ever seen. I wondered if that was why Yugi's grandfather, Sugoroku, accepted me even after my father had taken his daughter, Yugi's mother, as his second wife. _

_Yugi's mother was a girl from the circus, a true gypsy, you could say. She, my father and Sugoroku's wife died in a car accident, on the way to the next town. We were too young to travel with them._

_I cared for Yugi just as well as our grandfather did. He never lived entirely in this world, I think…some part of him went to another world with his mother, and it has stayed there ever since, making him what he is today. _

_That is the story of our past."_

"_Ah, the past" Seto Kaiba nods. "It catches up with you, once in a while. It also made you what you are today."_

"It does not have to be a very recent event", Ishizu quietly answers his question. "Judgement may approach you for an event you cannot even remember anymore. Tell me if you can think of something. But the tarot should give further hints. Let us continue."

She places her finger on the card lying beneath the two crossed ones in the middle. "This is the Unknown Factor, the Unconscious Influence...And it seems the cards are very keen on reminding you of something that has happened long ago. This is the Six of Cups. It warns you not to live in the past to deal with the future...but it is lying reverse, which changes the meaning slightly. You see, when a card comes to lie reverse, it shows the negative of its meaning. The Six of Cups reverse warns you not to dwell on a traumatic experience in your past, rather than a happy one..."

Ishizu looks up and meets his eyes, realisation evident. Unconsciously, Yami looks at his hands lying in his lap. The thin white scars are almost invisible on the pale skin today, but they are there, always reminding him, never to let go.

"_Yami! No!"_

"_Can you hear me! Yami, say something!" _

_Blue eyes filled with disappointment, confusion and anger._

"_Dear God, Yami, you're bleeding!"_

"_Carry him out! Quick!"_

"_Yami, are you hurt?"_

_He will never be a challenge to those blue eyes again._

"_Come on Yami, I will carry you out."_

_He will never see them again...eyes cold and hard as ice._

A small shudder shakes Yami's body. He looks up at Ishizu. "But it was such a long time ago. Do you think it still influences me so much?"

"The cards think it does", Ishizu answers patiently. "Maybe it is the reason why you are trying so hard now. You are certainly working all the time with your new partner, ever since you finally started your training together."

Biting his lip in thought, Yami acknowledges this with a small nod, signalling Ishizu to go on.

"And here we have the Past. But this time it is the Resolved Factor, an influence you have already overcome." She points her finger at the card lying outmost left of the Celtic Cross.

"It is the Moon, thought the card of illusion, intuition and confusion as well as deception. It lies reverse, though. That means suppressing your intuition, which can lead to deception as well. But it can also mean realising a deception – whether it is the deceit of another person or that of yourself. All that you seem to have overcome now – it is in the past."

"So that means I am on the right road now?", Yami demands, but Ishizu smiles sadly. "Not necessarily. You seem to have found a good way out of a past problem. But the other cards suggest there is still something troubling you. Three of the four cards you had until now also suggest new opportunities, new paths in your life. I did not mention this for it is a meaning not attributed to a certain card but to many, as a consequence."

"It seems so difficult", Yami whispers. "Confusion, you say? Lying to myself? That is something I have overcome."

"_My second question, Yami. What made you draw back from me when I first arrived at the circus? What made your eyes so aggressive? And, if it was that incident, five years ago, then I want to know why."_

_Briefly, Yami closes his eyes. Opening them again, he reaches for his glass, slowly sipping, stalling. Seto Kaiba's gaze never wavers but Yami cannot withstand its intensity for a long time. Besides a game is a game. He sets the glass down. His eyes become slightly glazed, looking far away, past the other as he speaks. _

"_Yes, it was that…incident. You sat in the crowd that day, one of my friends had pointed you out, Pegasus had told me who you were. I…wanted to impress you. It is why I failed, I jumped higher than I ever had before – but my partner did not expect this from me, so our hands missed."_

_His voice falters, he reaches for the glass again. His partner's eyes are still impassive. _

"_So you blame me?", Seto Kaiba wants to know. _

_This time Yami laughs, mirthlessly, but a laugh nonetheless. "Certainly. But not in the way you think. I was angry with you for turning away. I was spoiled. I should have known back then that life is about performance, to you, to the others, to everyone. If you are not good enough, you fall. You are not worth a second glance. I am good enough now."_

"_That you are", the taller man states calmly. "But it has made you bitter." He stands up, steps around the small table towards Yami to stand before him, staring at him with blazing fire in those eyes of frost. "I changed you, Yami Mutou. I destroyed something that was an intrinsic part of you before I even got to know you. I made you like me when I first laid eyes upon you. I cannot regret, I am what I am. But do you regret it?"_

_Yami stands as well, facing Seto Kaiba, closer to the other than he has ever been before, perhaps not physically, but in mind and soul. _

"_No", he whispers fiercely, "I used to hate you for it. I will do so never again."_

"Then let us move on to your beliefs, your goals. This is the Conscious Influence on your life. Look at the card and guess yourself, this time."

Yami follows Ishizu's pointing finger and his gaze meets a familiar fierce one, hidden behind light brown bangs, a sword raised between those eyes. Gypsy beads are woven into the fabric of his clothes but above them rests a silvery armour, broadening the shoulders, intensifying the air of aggression in the guarded face. Immediately he knows.

"He is called the Knight of Swords", Ishizu explains softly. "He is confident and fearless, charging forward. He stands up for his beliefs, he defends them aggressively. This is who you admire, Yami, who you aspire to be like. I can think of someone…and I am sure you can just as well."

"_My third question."_

_It is no more than a whisper between them, no more than an exhalation as they stand before each other. "What do you want most?"_

_His eyes widen and he takes a step back, the hollows of his knees bumping against the sofa. Seto Kaiba simply follows, trapping him. "At this very moment, Yami. And for all the days to come. What do you want most?"_

"_I…I…want everyone to be happy…and healthy…and I want to be successful…and…and…"_

_Seto Kaiba is leaning towards him, his calm deep voice reiterating._

"_What do you want most?"_

"_Strength", Yami whispers, "Power. Heat. I…want to fly."_

_His hands brush over Seto Kaiba's arms, he grasps them as the taller man leans closer still. _

"_You can have it all", Seto Kaiba whispers back. "I offer. I can make you fly."_

"_Yes" It is merely a breath and it meets the other's lips just before they touch his. Just before they fulfil their promise. Strength, power and heat. And he is flying. _

"Yami?", Ishizu asks softly, snapping him out of his daze.

"Yes, yes…continue", he answers her unformulated question.

"Next is the Future, Yami. The Approaching Influence. The Fool… this is how they call this card, the first card of the tarot deck. Full of enthusiasm and purity of action the Fool sets out on a new path in his life. The card shows you believe in yourself and your path. But it can be a warning. Be not rash, it says, pay attention to what you are doing, try to see the details. I advise in this case to consider especially the warning, since the card is lying in the place of your Future."

Yami looks down upon the card. There is the joker, doing a cartwheel on the edge of a cliff. The sun is bright, illuminates his face like a spotlight, and on his face there is a smile. The way beside the cliff is long, leading towards the sun, into the light. The gaping abyss next to it is ominously dark.

"Where will I see the signs? It is a tightrope walk, is it not?", he says softly, lifting his head to look at Ishizu.

She sighs. "It seems so, Yami. And I cannot tell you where to look for the signs. The cards are trying to show you, you know the current influences on your life. Consider them. Think about what you are doing."

_Seto Kaiba is kissing him and there are no thoughts left. Yami tilts his head and it rests on the sofa the two of them have sunk down upon. His arms are wrapped around Seto Kaiba's back, grabbing fistfuls of the other's shirt. _

_Releasing his mouth for a breath, the taller man pulls back and looks at him. _

"_Do you still want this?", he says slowly after a few seconds of tense silence have passed. _

_Yami can only nod mutely, hands now resting on the other's shoulders. _

"_It will change you more", Seto Kaiba announces darkly, "You know the rules of my life now, I cannot be myself and live by another's rules. How are you going to abandon your own rules?"_

"_I can", Yami whispers. "This is my future. I can do what I want."_

"_It is not wise", the other murmurs harshly. "It is not right of me to make you do this."_

_Yami does not answer. Instead his hands tighten around the other man and with a full display of his strength he reverses their positions, all but shoving Seto Kaiba into the sofa cushions, diving for his mouth once more._

Ishizu sighs. "The next card shows you the person you can be, or the way you present yourself. It is speaking rather clearly – this is the King of Cups. He is a leader and a good listener, he is not superficial. He also relies too much on his feelings, but he is a person others rely on. Yami...there is much more in you than you have ever given yourself credit for. But it seems your current path in life is not bringing it all out. Be careful about the influences on your life..." Her eyes are boring into his.

Yami sighs and looks away from the table, out of the window where the storm is raging. "Ishizu. You must understand. He is more than just an influence. I cannot give this up because a card is telling me so."

Something flashes in Ishizu's eyes. "Perhaps you don't have to give him up. Perhaps it is just about changing your attitude...Let's see what others think about you."

She points at the next card. "Unsurprisingly, this card is Strength. To others you are the epitome of courage and determination. You seem to overcome every obstacle...I admit, Yami, that I see you that way myself, sometimes. Every once in a while you seem invincible almost to a point of an unnatural strength coming from within you. Yes, this is something that has occurred recently, ever since the day he became your partner and challenged you."

"Then why do you consider him such a bad influence?", Yami demands fiercely, eyes blazing with annoyance. The older woman is not deterred by his glare.

"Because strength is not all your life should be about. The King of Cups showed you what else you can be, using this strength differently. But in my opinion...if you allow me to tell you...well...you are focussing your strength too much on your work, on the achievement of success. He brings out enormous strength in you, but the way you use it...Yami, I cannot approve."

"It is simply hard training. It is necessary to be successful and maintain your position...The others never said anything about it, they don't think I need to reconsider or change", Yami mumbles.

"_How was your training, Yami? Going well? Did that big silent jerk keep you busy again?"_

"_Meeting with another person is never as difficult as meeting with your actual self. I have to do this all the time to be able to cross my boundaries. You will find yourself in the same situation soon, but it is not going to be about the kind of magic I am training for."_

"_You seem to be caring a lot more than usual, lately"_

"_You doing well, Yami? I have not seen you in a while, always doing exercises here and training on the rigging there and never having enough time to stop for a little chat."_

"Are you sure you are not lying to yourself?", Ishizu questions mysteriously, looking at him with something in her eyes that reminds him of Yugi. He chooses not to answer, turns his head towards the window instead.

Ishizu's voice is almost stern as she continues. "The Overlooked Factor is next, Yami. Your hopes and fears. But in this case it seems the card is strongly concerned with your fears.

A small shudder passes through Yami's body as he looks at the card. There is lightning and there is fire and in the middle of it all a crumbling tower. Human bodies are falling.

"A fatal change", Ishizu whispers. "that is what the Tower suggests. Harsh reality shatters your hopes – and it may be caused by yourself, even if you do not know it. It also...suggests the end of a relationship, sometimes."

Yami's head snaps up to meet her eyes. "No", he says, voice hard and increasing in volume. "The cards do not know this. I will not fail in this, we will not fail."

"That is just what I meant, Yami", Ishizu murmurs. "You fear it so much that it may actually come to pass. Look at your last card, Yami." Now her voice is rising as well. "You fear something fatal happening so much you willingly choose a path that promises an outcome like this. Yes, this is your Final Outcome – The Ten of Swords...Look at it, Yami, and tell me what you think!"

Ten swords, their painted edges shining silver, their tips sunk into a human body.

Outside the storm is calming, there is the rolling of thunder in the distance, rain is pounding softly onto the window.

"Pain, despair, mental anguish. An unexpected end because of treachery or misfortune."

At Ishizu's softly spoken words, Yami buries his head in his hands.

"How shall I understand this, Ishizu? All the cards seem to suggest is that I am wrong! But I have finally found something that feels right! Why can I not have this? Why not, Ishizu? What am I doing wrong?"

He is tearing frantically at his hair.

"Don't do this, Yami", she soothes. "It is not too late. See...the Ten of Swords also indicates a new chance, that it is time to take a new path. Try it, Yami. Think about your ambitions and those of Seto Kaiba. Think about his and your way of life. Think about the influences of your past. You may save something if you do so. It seems you have some hard times ahead, but I am confident you will manage."

She walks around the table and puts her arms around him. Yami buries his head in her chest and they rest like this for a few minutes. Slowly, Yami disengages from the embrace and stands. He leans up and places a small kiss on Ishizu's cheek.

"Thank you for the warning", he says, softly. "I will try to make the best of it. But I do not know how much I will be able to save. There is more than myself to save...I am not alone on this path."

Ishizu nods. "Do your best, Yami. We will always be by your side."

"Sister, the storm is ending! Oh, Yami, good you are still there! I could cook something for us." Malik walks into the room, towelling his hair and smiling at them.

"No, thank you", Yami excuses himself politely. "I think I need to see someone. I will talk to you later. Besides, there may be some leftovers from lunch. I doubt many of the others went through that storm to the cookhouse, most of them will have stayed inside their caravans."

"You're right about that", Malik muses. "Well, should I get something for you too, my lady? Or do you want to come with me?"

Ishizu is gathering her cards and carefully storing them away. "No, thanks, I will stay here. I have a lot to think about." Nonetheless she smiles at them. "But if you find something I like, I appreciate it, of course. And, Yami…Good luck."

"Thank you", he whispers and leaves the caravan with Malik.

Outside, they part with Malik heading off towards the cookhouse and Yami walking towards Seto Kaiba's trailer. The largest window is lit, meaning that the other is currently reading a book in his armchair – the one he removed from his house at the winter camp and carried into the caravan by himself.

Yami does not knock but confidently opens the door and steps inside. The man in the armchair does not look up from his book, but there is a subtle smile on his lips when he hears the door being shut.

"Ready for the training, Yami?", he wants to know. "We should really get started, we are two hours behind because of that storm, after all." His left hand reaches for a bookmark lying on the near table.

"Not today, Seto", Yami says softly, leaning against the wall. "I do not think any of the others are going to train today. We are lucky if we can even perform in the evening."

The book snaps shut and Seto Kaiba looks up at him, blue eyes now suspicious and slightly narrowed.

"Yami", he says, "We both know none of the others – exceptions being our little brothers – have enough skill to compete with us. We cannot allow them to be our measures, we cannot apply the same standards for them that we apply for us."

"I know", Yami says, keeping his voice low. "But our own measures are getting slightly out of control."

Slowly, Seto Kaiba stands, gently placing his book on the table. "What do you mean?", he demands.

"I am talking about danger, Seto. I am talking about my hands sometimes slipping from the bar because they ache so much I cannot hold them up any longer. I have never admitted to this kind of pain before, not to you and not to anyone else…I do not want pity and you know it, Seto. I know I am strong. But I know when I reach the point of real danger. I was there once, and you saw it, you saw me fall. I am never going to reach this point again, if I can help it…and…I wouldn't want you to experience what I went through back then."

They are both silent. Finally Seto Kaiba speaks. "So you finally reject my rules?"

"No", Yami murmurs, "I still appreciate strength and hard work, but within reason. Of what use will it be to destroy ourselves by working so hard it becomes dangerous to our health? What we are doing is self-destructive, Seto."

The taller man throws his head back and laughs. "I have always been self-destructive, Yami!", he cries. "I thought you would know by now! Once you saw only my strength, didn't you? And you wanted so desperately for me to be weak as well…so you did not have to feel inferior. Is that not correct, Yami?"

He is taking slow steps towards him, a strange expression, a smile torn with emotion, on his face. "Did you not wish for me to be weak, Yami?"

Screams come to Yami's mind, all of a sudden. Long forgotten screams penetrate his thoughts as he stares up into those icy blue eyes. He does not understand the words, but he recognises his own voice, or rather the voice of his twelve year old self. And remembrance comes, slowly, but steadily, the screams of fury and hatred taking shape.

"_Curse you! _

_Curse your pride! _

_Cursed be your self-confidence, cursed be your skill! _

_One day you shall be bereft of them all! _

_Just you wait! Just you wait!"_

"Yes…", he whispers. "I wished for that….and…" His eyes widen and he stops abruptly.

"_This card crossed over the other, that is the Opposing Factor, or the Factor of Change. This is...Judgement. Something you did or experienced in the past is probably catching up with you, be it a positive or a negative influence."_

"No!" With a cry of sudden realisation and fear Yami raises his hands up to his face, staring at the white scars. "Seto! You have to stop this, now, or something terrible will happen…."

"Yami, calm down", Seto speaks softly, confusion in his voice. His hands are reaching for Yami's, pulling them away from his eyes.

"I cannot", Yami whispers, and then he throws his arms around Seto Kaiba and harshly pulls him into a kiss. Half delirious, he feels the other man's hands slip under his pullover, caress his back and he growls and presses closer. His eyes are firmly shut, his hands are pulling on the other's hair as Seto Kaiba tries to stir them towards the small bed shoved against the wall in a corner.

The bed is too small for them to lie next to each other, so Seto Kaiba settles half on top of Yami, whose eyes are filled with conflicting emotions. There is desire in them, and fondness, but worry and fear as well. "Seto", he whispers and strokes the thick strands of hair with trembling fingers.

The other leans down, showering his face with small kisses, one on the forehead, on his right temple, on his earlobe and his cheekbone, beneath his eye, on the corner of his mouth. In between the kisses he is speaking.

"You are…certainly….unlucky, Yami….to end up with…me…"

"No", Yami murmurs fiercely, tilting his head into the kisses. "No, I am the luckiest…ohhhh."

Again, Seto Kaiba bites his neck. "You are unlucky." His tongue swipes once, twice over the mark on Yami's reddened skin. "I am self-destructive and egoistic." He kisses the abused spot then moves on towards the collarbone. "I need to push myself to the edge of danger."

Beneath him, Yami arcs into the kiss slightly, moaning softly.

Abruptly, Seto Kaiba pulls back and frees Yami of his pullover. Staring down at him, he speaks softly. "I took you there with me…and I feel no remorse. We fly together, Yami. We are the only ones that can make each other fly…."

Yami's hands run over his taller partner's shirt, working frantically on buttons. "But…we can….without dangerous training…." He gasps softly as he speaks the words against Seto Kaiba's lips. "I can…make you fly….right now."

And with those words he violently tears the other's shirt open and attacks his bare chest with kisses.

* * *

There it is again, the magical atmosphere as the crowd slowly fills the seats surrounding the ring, as children's voices and laughter mingle into the familiar buzzing sound resembling a hive full of bees.

The Gypsy Brass Band members take their seats, Pegasus lifts the curtain slightly and gives Siegfried a thumbs-up. His cousin nods back at him, raises the conductor's baton and the band begins to play a cheerful tune.

As Pegasus prepares to step out, there is a series of loud coughs echoing though the backyard, luckily unheard by the audience outside due to the loud music. Many of the artists turn where they stand in lines waiting for the spec, now searching for the origin of the sound.

"Yami", Yugi whispers softly, eyes wide as he turns towards his older brother who is currently held by Seto Kaiba while he is coughing violently, his cheeks flushed. The younger boy rushes to Yami's side and with a move of his hand swipes his blond bangs away. "Yami, you have a fever! You have been coughing all afternoon! It is dangerous for you to perform tonight!"

Yami opens his eyes to look at Yugi, and they are slightly glazed. "It's alright", he breathes, voice a little raspy, then he straightens his back. "I have been out in the rain, I've been careless. I have to face the results now. Besides Seto cannot perform our acts alone, that would be even more dangerous."

There is no more time for objections because Pegasus has already stepped out into the ring, speaking to the audience.

"Welcome, Ladies and Gentleman, at the Gypsy Circus! Encounter the gypsies and mystical creatures of the ring, let them take you to the bonfires, let them perform their magical dance, let them tell you stories of former days. Let them entrance you! Welcome now, the stars of the ring!"

The music is wild and fast and the spec is beginning. They have their best smiles on their faces as they walk out. Yami's face is partially hidden behind heavy make up as he tugs the corners of his mouth into a smile. The uncoloured cheek is still graced with a blush as he waves at the audience.

Adrenaline takes over for a short while and he performs a little flip-flop in front of a group of little girls with bright blue eyes. But as he tilts his head back a wave of unnatural heat is flooding his brain and for a second his vision blackens.

Almost blind he stumbles past the curtains and falls right into Amelda's arms.

"Parrot! What happened!" Quickly, Amelda lowers him to the ground. The other artists are already making their way over to him. Roughly, Ishizu pushes Seto Kaiba away before he can lower himself to the ground next to Yami.

Her voice is urgent, stern and almost panicky. "Yami. You are sick. Realise it now or it will be too late. Think of the cards. Think of their warning. Do not push yourself too far."

Coughing again, Yami tries to straighten up. "But… Seto…"

"No!", Ishizu cries. "You know well enough, Yami! Consider what I told you! You know what is going to happen if you go out there! Look at your hands, look at what you see there! Does that convince you?"

His hands, too, are slightly flushed with blood rushing through them, and the thin scars stand out even paler than usual. Yami swallows, then gives another small cough. He turns his head, looking for his trapeze partner.

Seto Kaiba is right behind Ishizu, standing with his arms crossed, looking at her with murder threatening in his eyes.

"Your turn, Anzu!", Someone is calling behind them, but Yami does not pay attention to what is happening around him. His eyes focus solely on Seto Kaiba.

"Seto", he says, his voice now calm and low. "Let us not perform tonight. Ishizu is right, it is dangerous."

Seto Kaiba looks down at him with a strange expression, as if he is torn inwardly. Indecisiveness is hidden in his posture, arms crossed in front of his chest. Outside, the audience is applauding and cheering frantically for Anzu.

"You will not perform", Seto Kaiba finally confirms. "Go rest. I can do this alone."

"No!", Yami cries, then coughs again and continues in a roughened voice.

"You can't….we….Seto, I saw something….we cannot…." He coughs again.

Seto Kaiba returns the formerly received gesture of unkindness by pushing Ishizu away and lifting the still coughing Yami into his arms, carrying him into the backyard and sitting them both down on one of the chests usually containing their performance outfits and props.

The sounds coming from the ring are slightly muffled as the taller man bends his head slightly to place a kiss on Yami's lips.

"Seto…", Yami mumbles, evading his lips a little. "You have to listen….it is important this time. You remember the night I asked you to go easier on our training? That same night….I learned something…about us. Ishizu….her cards showed me…"

Seto Kaiba interrupts him with a harsh laugh. "That woman! One day she's going to predict the end of the world! Don't mind a word she says, Yami." He playfully bites Yami's lower lip.

Yami, however, is struggling to beat down the sensation and focus on what is really important, trying to ignore the rising panic in his chest. "Seto! Listen to me! It is important! No matter if you believe in fortune telling or not, some of the signs were so obvious once I thought about them. You have to consider it! You know just as well as I do that it is too dangerous for you to go out there and perform alone!"

The taller man snorts indignantly. "I did it all the time before we started training together. I will manage just as well, this time."

"Seto", Yami whispers. "Seto, but what if you don't? I…I cannot even imagine…"

"Go to bed, Yami", his partner tells him, sternly. "I will not give you a reason to doubt me, ever again. I will perform tonight."

"No!" Helplessly, Yami wraps his arms around the other. "Please, don't!"

Seto Kaiba ignores his raised voice and moves to pull out of his embrace. "No!", Yami cries frantically, clinging harder to the other, feeling weak and powerless to stop him. "If….if you go out there I will…."

There is a smirk on the other man's face, the old challenge back in his eyes. "What will you do, Gypsy?"

Something desperate flashes in Yami's eyes. "I will never be with you again. Never kiss you again, never speak to you again! Do you hear me, Seto Kaiba? Don't go out there!"

An icy cold chill washes over Yami's limbs as he sees Seto Kaiba's eyes turning cold and hard as steel. "No, Seto!", he whispers desperately. "Don't! You know I did not mean it like that! Seto!"

His cries go unheeded as Seto Kaiba turns around to walk out of the backyard.

Tears of anger are stinging in Yami's eyes when he jumps up and runs after the other. He catches him right at the entrance to the area just behind the curtain and turns him around harshly, vision blackening for the fraction of a second.

"You won't, Seto Kaiba", he hisses, clinging to the other's chest and upper arms.

"Let go of me, Yami" The other's voice is just as icy as his glare. He is trying to wrench out of Yami's grasp.

"Never!", Yami hisses back, clutching him harder. "I won't give this up!"

"Go away", Seto Kaiba snarls and he pushes hard at Yami's chest.

Yami's sweaty hands lose their grip on the other's bare skin. Heat flares up in his body and darkness in his vision. As he falls backwards into a pool of deep forgetfulness, he sees stunned blue eyes, boring into his.

….

The music is still loud in his ears, pounding painfully on the inside along with a headache that makes him dizzy for a moment. He tries to sit up and feels someone pressing him down into a chair. Then he hears Sugoroku's voice, close to his ear.

"Shhh, my boy, relax."

"Jii-chan…", he murmurs and his throat feels sore from coughing and screaming. "Where am I? What is happening?"

"You're still in the backyard, Yami", comes the answer, "Everything is alright. The performance is almost over"

Yami's eyes snap open at those words and he is all but jumping to his feet. "Seto!"

"Calm down, my boy!", Sugoroku tries to push him back down. "He is alright, he is already performing"

All of a sudden Yami's blood is running cold. "Oh no, Jii-chan….no, he couldn't have…"

Sugoroku sighs and puts his arm loosely around Yami. "Ishizu tried to talk him out of it together with Yugi…but he just pushed them away and went into the ring. Quite the strong-headed man, is he not?"

For a moment, Yami's lips are moving soundlessly, his eyes staring dully at Sugoroku's old face. Then, without warning, he breaks free from the other's hold and is running, clinging to poles here and there, supporting himself as his heart is racing, faster and faster, blackness creeping around the edges of his vision. Reaching the curtain, he halfway pushes the red fabric aside.

The first thing he sees is Seto Kaiba, letting go of one of the flying bars, performing a difficult series of somersaults. The next thing he sees is one of the other flyer's hands slipping on the next bar as he tries to reach it out of his fast spin. The last thing he sees is Seto Kaiba falling.

"NO!"

Yami's scream is drowned in the mutual one of the audience as once more unconsciousness takes him.


	6. Epilogue

**Author's Notes: **

Uhm, yes. Once again, I hope you won't kill me.

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, you're awesome! Wish I could give you some kind of present…but all I can offer are misshapen GW drabbles…

Whatever. You're gonna kill me anyway, after this…

_Practical note_: Starting this Sunday, July 9th, I'll be away for three weeks. So, don't be angry with me if I don't answer reviews or mails – I promise replies when I come back.

**Epilogue**

The wind is gentle as it combs through Yami's hair, twirling and intertwining his blond bangs. Bright sunlight warms his face, the rain of two weeks past long forgotten. But there is no sunlight and no brightness in his eyes.

The wind makes him shiver. There is a terrible tension in the air as he stands waiting, watching the small caravan in front of which he is standing. Behind him there is Yugi, close enough to give comfort, but so very far from his mind. There is Sugoroku, there are Ishizu and Malik, there are Bakura and Ryou, there are Joey, Shizuka and Honda.

There is Leon, hugging a boy with wild black hair and whispering a childish promise into the other's ear, whispering of friendship and eternity.

Regret and envy strive in Yami's soul at the heart-breaking sight. He returns his eyes to the door. Slowly, it is pushed open.

One last time he is standing there, facing him, blue eyes staring into his, cold, icy, but also sad, incredibly sad. Those eyes take Yami's last hope for a childish promise of their own.

But he remains standing, barring the other's way as he steps out of the caravan, a bag with his few possessions slung over his right shoulder. The left arm and shoulder are still wrapped in thick bandages.

"Seto", he says, his voice low and calm, but bitter where it loses itself in the wind. There is an irrational question on his lips.

He will not ask again, he has already asked a thousand times.

"_Seto…By the gods, Seto, why do you have to leave?"_

"_You know well enough, Yami. I cannot bear staying. You knew my rules. They are all gone now, never to return."_

Seto Kaiba steps closer, until there are only a few more inches between them. "Yami", he replies, but there is more than that in his eyes. Yami does not have to hear what more he has to say, he has heard it a thousand times already.

"_I am sorry for not listening. It seems our encounter is ending – we were not meant to last."_

There is anger in the way Yami grips the taller man's shirt, anger in the way he clings to him, all but forces his head down to his, helpless rage in the hand resting on the nape of his neck, rage in his eyes as he closes them, a breath from Seto Kaiba's lips.

"_We? All that has ever counted to you are your rules! I mean nothing to you…You are leaving now that your rules are shattered. I am still here, but you need your rules more than me!"_

It is Seto Kaiba who crosses this last distance between them. His lips are not aggressive, but slow and wistful, tinged with the taste of pain. The pain overrides Yami's anger.

"_I am not the person I was, Yami. I am different now that I do no longer have those rules, those goals. Now that I will never be able to fly again._

_Do you think I could ever become a new person watching you perform our acts every day? Being forced to look upon what I will never have again?"_

The kiss ends and Yami's hands enclose Seto Kaiba's face, cradle it as he allows their foreheads to meet, as he feels the other's arms around his waist. His thumbs are caressing Seto Kaiba's cheeks in slow circles, timid, pleading.

"_Why can I not help you on the way? You know I can make you fly, ever, forever."_

Softly, Seto Kaiba shakes his head, forehead rubbing against Yami's. His hands, too, are painting circles on Yami's back.

"_Mokuba and I have to find a new way, Yami. I will live for him again, help him find his place in life. Then I have to become a new person. I do not know if this person can be with you, if you will want to be with this new person. Give me time, Yami. Scars have to heal."_

Seto Kaiba pulls away and Yami does not have the strength to hold him back. And when the blue-eyed man turns and walks away, Yami stumbles back into the arms of his little brother and his Jii-chan. In those arms he hides his tears as he watches the tall silhouette walk away, towards the town, vanishing between the grassy hills, passing into the close forest, his little brother in tow.

"Yami", Ishizu says softly, stroking his shoulder. "Yami, think of this, tonight when you are lonely." Carefully, she slips something into his hand. It is thin with sharp edges and soft corners.

"What is this card?", he whispers, trying to keep his voice steady.

Gently, Ishizu pulls him to his chest and hugs him. "It is the Wheel of Fortune. It wants to tell you that this is not the end. That your time may come. That all winters and summers wane and fade, but return at their time."

She places a gentle kiss on his forehead. "And that all life is about flying and falling."


End file.
